Laocoön (El Greco)

Laocoön is an oil painting by El Greco. It dates from between 1604 and 1614. It measures 142 × 193 cm (55.9 × 76 in). It hangs in the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. Laocoön is a mythical character taken from the "Aeneid", a Latin epic poem by Virgil. In the legend, Laocoön was a Trojan priest who warned the Trojans not to bring the Wooden Horse into the city of Troy. This angered the gods protecting the Greeks. They caused serpents to rise from the sea to strangle the priest and his two sons. Laocoön and his sons are seen left and center in the painting. The figures to the right may be the Greek gods. The Wooden Horse is seen in the middle distance center. The city in the far distance is Toledo, Spain. El Greco was Greek by birth. He completely ignored the history and mythology of Greece in his work, except for this one painting. This picture is the only classical theme he ever painted.