The Unspoken Beauty: An Aesthetic Study of the Laocoön Sculpture Group

Yingying Lu

doi:10.54097/khk7qq43

Authors

Yingying Lu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/khk7qq43

Keywords:

aesthetics, Laocoön, sculpture.

Abstract

The Laocoön sculpture group is one of the masterpieces of ancient Greek sculpture, portraying the tragic scene from Greek mythology in which Laocoön and his two sons are entangled by serpents. As a form of plastic art, sculpture differs from literary works such as poetry—although it cannot convey its aesthetic connotations through language, it presents beauty more directly and concretely. The Laocoön group stands at the pinnacle of Hellenistic art, representing an epic tragedy with unique aesthetic expressiveness. This paper investigates the aesthetic appeal of this sculpture group from three dimensions: form, content, and concept. In terms of form, the sculpture vividly conveys dynamic and powerful beauty through the design of its proportions, lines, and contours. Regarding content, it reenacts a tragic myth, shapes vivid character images, and expresses complex emotional nuances. On the level of concept, the sculpture communicates aesthetic values unique to visual art by balancing restraint and indulgence, as well as sensibility and rationality.

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References

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