The neoclassical bronze of Laocoon sold for 16 million euros

Over the centuries the marble group has been widely replicated and studied. In particular, between the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century, following his stay in Paris during the Napoleonic campaigns, monumental reproductions in bronze were developed. The work of Auguste-Jean Marie Carbonneaux fits into this context, author of one of the very few life-size bronzes of the subject. The work, created with innovative casting techniques for the time, is considered one of the highest expressions of sculptural neoclassicism. Commissioned in the early 19th century and passed through some of Britain’s most important aristocratic collections, including those of William Beckford and the Duke of Hamilton, the bronze remained off the market for almost 150 years. (by Paolo Martini)