The market of major auctions celebrates a historic result in London with the sale of the famous bronze of Laocoon and His Sons.
This monumental life-size casting, a masterpiece of drama and technique, shattered all initial forecasts during a special session, attracting the attention of the most important global collectors.
Why did the value of the Laocoon bronze sculpture exceed all expectations?
The work represents an extraordinary bronze replica of one of the most famous sculptural groups of classical antiquity. During the monographic auction organized by Sotheby’s in London, four international bidders fiercely contested the lot. In the end, a newcomer buyer in the field of ancient paintings and classical sculpture secured the masterpiece for the sum of 13.6 million pounds (about 18.1 million dollars).
The estimates on the eve predicted a result between 2 and 3 million pounds (about 2.6 – 3.9 million dollars). However, the exceptional rarity of the piece pushed the bids well beyond the hypothesized limit, confirming the strong interest in historical sculptures of the highest quality.
From the discovery in Rome in 1506 to the 19th-century casting
The original marble of Laocoon and His Sons was discovered in Rome in 1506, immediately arousing the admiration of artists like Michelangelo. The sculpture captures the dramatic moment when the Trojan priest and his sons struggle against sea serpents sent by the gods protecting the Greeks.
In 1797, a plaster cast of the group was made at the Musée Napoléon in Paris, following the transfer of the original work ordered by Napoleon with the Treaty of Tolentino. Subsequently, in 1817, the French sculptor Auguste-Jean Marie Carbonneaux was commissioned by the British collector George Watson-Taylor to create four bronze castings based on that cast.
Where are the other surviving examples today?
Of the four historical castings made by Carbonneaux in the 19th century, the location of only a few is known:
- One example is permanently installed at the French Parliament in Paris.
- A second bronze decorates the prestigious period residence of Houghton Hall in the United Kingdom.
- The third example is the masterpiece of Laocoon and His Sons featured in the record auction in London.
A collecting journey lasting over two centuries
The journey that brought the bronze to the rostrum of Sotheby’s is long and fascinating. Watson-Taylor, unable to finance the entire original commission, was forced to auction the bronze at Phillips in 1821. The work was first purchased by the famous writer William Beckford, then it became part of the collections of the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos and later of the Duke of Hamilton.
In 1882, the bronze was sold along with other treasures from the Hamilton collection during a historic 17-day auction curated by Christie’s. On that occasion, the buyer was the industrialist Thomas Merthyr Guest. From that moment, the family of the esteemed industrialist has jealously preserved the sculpture until the historic decision to sell it today after 150 years of absence from the public scene.
According to Christopher Mason, director of the sculpture department at Sotheby’s for Europe, this piece represents a true art trophy. Its impeccable provenance and rich historical documentation place it indisputably among the most important three-dimensional works ever to appear on the global auction market.
The results of other evening auction sessions
The extraordinary sale of Laocoon and His Sons set the stage for the traditional evening auction dedicated to old masters and 19th-century paintings. The session featured significant works by authors such as William Hodges, Edwin Landseer, and Sandro Botticelli.
Overall, the main lot of the evening was a youthful painting by Rembrandt, titled Let the Children Come to Me (dated 1627). The work, recently subjected to a delicate restoration process, was sold in line with the estimates on the eve for a sum of 8 million pounds (about 10.6 million dollars), consolidating a moment of great dynamism for the entire sector of classical masters.
As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.
She is also a marketing teacher at Digital Coach in Milan and she published a book about NFTs for the Italian publishing house Mondadori, while she is also helping artists and company to entering in the sector. As advisor, Amelia is also involved in metaverse-related project such as The Nemesis and OVER.
