Caricature of the Laocoön - Nicolò Boldrini

A satirical woodcut by Nicolò Boldrini, replacing the figures of the classical Laocoön sculpture with apes.

This woodcut by Nicolò Boldrini offers a satirical reinterpretation of the famous Hellenistic sculpture, the Laocoön and His Sons. The original marble, discovered in Rome in 1506, depicts the Trojan priest and his children struggling against sea serpents. Boldrini replaces the human figures with apes, a common device in sixteenth-century art to mock human folly or to parody the gravity of classical subjects.

The print demonstrates the technical skill of the Venetian school of woodcutting. Boldrini, who frequently collaborated with Titian, employs a system of hatching and cross-hatching to define the musculature and fur of the apes, as well as the coils of the serpents. The composition mirrors the triangular arrangement of the original sculpture, yet the substitution of primates introduces a grotesque quality that subverts the heroic pathos of the source material.

In the background, a simplified rural setting provides a contrast to the central drama. The lines are precise, reflecting the standard of Venetian printmaking during the mid-sixteenth century. This work is often associated with the circle of Titian, as the artist frequently translated the painter's designs into woodblock prints. By transforming a revered icon of antiquity into a scene of simian chaos, the print engages with the humanist tradition of parody. It serves as a reminder of the period's fascination with classical antiquity and its willingness to engage with such subjects through humour and subversion. The print remains a curious example of how Renaissance artists interacted with the newly unearthed treasures of the ancient world, often choosing to comment upon them through irony rather than mere imitation.