A Primer of Visual Cliche

The Laocoon always a set piece used for Might brought Low by a set of struggling forces.
 
see Simon Richter, Laocoon's Body and the Aesthetics of Pain,
Detroit, Wayne State University Press, 1992 which discusses fiver major texts on the theme

(and which acknowledges Elaine Scarry, The Body in Pain, OUP NY L 1985)

 
J.J.Winckelmann, Gedanken uber die Nachahmung der Grieschen Wercke .... 1755

G.E.Lessing, Laokoon oder uber die Grenzen der Malerei und Poesie, 1766

J.G.Herder, Kritisches Walder, 1769

K.P.Moritz, Die Grosse Loge - essay , (1793)

Goethe, Uber Laokoon , 1798
 

see also expression (and particularly Darwin and Duchenne de Boulogne)

REPRODUCED

 

01 photo Allinari, Florence c1880
 

02 November 1958, ad for an advertising agency 23 x 25cms

 
03 French Political Satire dated 1877 and a comment on France beset by various expoiters, darwing by UZES in Le Sifflet ;
from Paul Ducatel, History of the Third Republic Vol II Grassin Paris 1975
 
 
04 from The Royal Encyclopedia 1788 - 90

05 The Laocoon AS DRAWING AID for GREEK MUSCULATION in the service of the correspondence school from Adolphe Armand Braun, Hieroglyphic or Greek method of Life Drawing Postal University/Batsford London 1916 first edition page size 22 x 27cms
 
06 Bartolomeo Marliani's awful print after the Laocoon, a travesty of the sculpture but fun. The drawing of the arms is particularly inept. Supposedly carved by Agesandrus in c300 BC.