Laocoön

El Greco

c. 1610–1614 · Oil on canvas · National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

Size2:3 ratio

Frame

$59Unframed print · made to order

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Complete the setHangs well with these two

This print

Laocoön

Cardinal Fernando Niño de Guevara

Saint Martin and the Beggar

3 × $59 at 16 × 24 in, unframed = $177 → $159.30 as a set · 10% included · free shipping

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Giclée-printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper

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About this work

Artist: El Greco (1541–1614)
Year: c. 1610–1614
Medium: Oil on canvas
Original size: 137.5 × 172.5 cm
Collection: National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Movement: Renaissance

The Trojan priest Laocoön lies on his back on dark rocks, struggling with a serpent; one son lies dead beside him and the other, standing, tries to hold another snake at arm's length, while at the right two unclothed figures, probably gods, look on. In the background lies Toledo under a stormy sky, with a horse walking towards the city gate, perhaps an allusion to the Trojan Horse. In Virgil's account Laocoön warned the Trojans against the wooden horse and was killed with his sons by serpents sent by the gods. The famous ancient marble group of the subject, rediscovered in Rome in 1506, was known to El Greco, but his elongated, pale figures depart from it entirely. He painted the canvas in about 1610–1614, at the end of his life; it is his only surviving mythological painting, and parts appear unfinished. Setting it before Toledo may reflect a local tradition that the city was founded by descendants of Trojans. It came to the National Gallery of Art in Washington with the Samuel H. Kress Collection.

This exhibition-poster edition shows the whole work beneath original typography set in-house. The original is in the public domain.

Where it works

Pale, elongated figures wrestling serpents on dark rocks before Toledo under a churning blue sky, for a study, living room or hallway at 24×36 in black. A slate, charcoal or warm stone wall; it pairs with The Raft of the Medusa.

Style, size & framing detail

Style: Exhibition poster of a Renaissance painting
Era: 17th century (c. 1610–1614)
Orientation: Portrait
Palette: cream & beige
Mood: grand
Rooms: living room, hallway or entryway, study or library, dining room
Good gift for: housewarming, art lovers

Size. We'd hang this one at 24×36. Prints at 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in — 12×18 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 16×24 above a desk, console or in a hallway; 24×36 as the statement piece above a sofa or bed.

Framing. Exhibition posters sit best in a slim black frame with no mat — the typeset margin is the mat.

Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).

Details & materials

• Exhibition poster — original, drawn in-house • Heavyweight matte fine-art paper, giclée printed at 300 DPI • Sizes: 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in; every size also available framed • Framed option: wood frame in black or natural wood, 12 mm wide and 22 mm deep, with a plexiglass front and no mat; the print is mounted inside and the frame's outside measures the listed size • Made to order; colours may vary slightly from screen

Shipping & returns

Printed after you order at the facility nearest you, then shipped. Standard delivery is free and takes 4–9 business days from order to door in the US, UK and EU (up to 10 elsewhere); Express takes 4–6 business days. Because each print is made to order we don't take change-of-mind returns, but if it arrives damaged or flawed we'll reprint or refund it — no return needed. Full policy →

Is this the whole painting, or a crop?

The whole work, uncropped. The exhibition-poster edition sets the complete image above typography designed in-house.

Is Laocoön in the public domain?

Yes. El Greco (1541–1614) died more than 70 years ago and the work was published before 1929, so the painting itself is public domain. This print is a reproduction made from a high-resolution scan of the original, which is held by National Gallery of Art.

What is it printed on?

Heavyweight matte fine-art paper with pigment inks, made to order in 12×18, 16×24 and 24×36 inches; every size is also offered framed in black or natural wood, with plexiglass and no mat. Colours are matched to the scan, not brightened.

When was Laocoön painted, and in what medium?

Laocoön dates from c. 1610–1614 and was made in oil on canvas; the original measures 137.5 × 172.5 cm.

What size works above a sofa or bed?

Across a three-seat sofa or a queen bed, 24×36 is the size that reads as one statement piece; 16×24 suits a narrower wall or a pair. For Laocoön we'd choose 24×36.

About this design

A museum-exhibition poster of El Greco's Laocoön — Laocoön — the Trojan priest and his sons struggling with the serpents before a view of Toledo — shown whole and uncropped beneath gallery typography. El Greco: Flame and Spirit, styled as a blockbuster exhibition print. A gallery-style exhibition poster: a celebrated public-domain artwork shown whole and uncropped beneath original exhibition typography set in-house — printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper. Every size is offered unframed or framed in black or natural wood. Part of the Madten Exhibition Posters Collection. — — — Printed to order and shipped by our production partner, Gelato.

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The Madten promise

Gallery-grade archival giclée. Rich pigment inks on heavyweight fine-art paper (or gallery-wrapped canvas) — built to last, not a poster-shop print.

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free. Every piece is made to order; if it shows up damaged or flawed we remake it, no return needed.

Free worldwide shipping. Made & shipped from the facility nearest you — most orders arrive in 4–9 business days.

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