Nero's Golden House | The Influence of Classical Greek Sculpture on Italian Renaissance Art

The Laocoon by Athanadoros, Hagesandros, and Polydoros of Rhodes, 1st century B.C.E. Hellenistic Classical Greek Sculpture, Vatican Museums, Rome

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Italian Renaissance Artists Flocked To Nero's Golden House To See Newly Found Classical Greek Sculpture

Since its discovery, this grotto attracted artists like Raphael and Michelangelo, and many others who went down shafts to study the classical Greek sculpture and frescoes, carving their signatures into the walls. Classical Greek sculpture like the Laocoon played a large part in the development of Italian Renaissance art with its emotional, bold figure style. The classical Greek sculpture of the Laocoon was found within the center room of the Domus Aurea. This new antique source material instantly electrified creative minds. Artists were not only influenced by the classical Greek sculpture found there, but by the decorative elements of Roman fresco style with its elaborate swags and landscapes with figures. The Domus Aurea covered a vast space, occupying three of the seven hills of Rome. It is said that Nero imprisoned Rome's finest painter in it to decorate his new palace.

Brenda Harness, Art Historian