This print depicts the Laocoön, an ancient work in marble that portrays an episode from the Trojan War (see photo). Laocoön had warned his fellow Trojans of Greek treachery, and for this action the gods sent sea-serpents to attack him and his sons. The marble Laocoön was discovered in Rome in 1506, and immediately became one of the most famous sculptures in Europe. Reproductive prints helped spread its fame. Niccolò Boldrini drew on the expressive power of the woodcut to create a very personal interpretation of the subject. His startling use of monkeys in place of human figures may be a play on the popular notion of “art as the ape of nature.”