Italian school circa 1850 after the antique Laocoon group Bronze with brown patina H. 87 cm and terrace 47 x 26 cm Rediscovered in Rome on the Esquiline in 1506 and immediately presented in the Belvedere palace by Pope Julius II, this Laocoon group, an antique Roman copy of a Greek work in bronze, has enjoyed immense success and wide distribution over the centuries, particularly in the 19th century to satisfy Grand Tour enthusiasts who wished to bring back testimonies of Antiquity. Today, the original is on display at the Pio-Clementino Museum in the Vatican, with its folded antique arm recovered in the early 20th century.