The Judgment of Paris (ca. 1528)
Original title: The Judgment of Paris
kurzbeschreibung
Lucas Cranach the Elder painted this scene from the myth of Paris around 1528 in oil on beech wood: Paris must choose the most beautiful among the goddesses. The picture measures 101.9 × 71.1 cm and today belongs to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Description
Three nude female figures step forward, one of them holding the apple in her hand. On a wooden beam at the left crouches a man in armor with a shield, while to the right behind the women stands another figure in a robe with a shield. A river, mountains, and a castle spread out across the landscape, and at the upper left an angel hovers, playing a harp.
Context
The Judgment of Paris was a sought-after subject in the Renaissance, as it allowed the female ideal of beauty to be displayed. Cranach, who worked as court painter to the Saxon electors, took up the theme several times. The landscape and figures point to the Danube School, to which he was close for a time.
Impact
First the eye is caught by the three bright bodies, then it moves to the seated man at the left edge and onward into the depth of the landscape. The colors are strong, the details numerous, and the contrasting arrangement of the figures keeps the picture in a calm yet subtly tense mood.
Technique
Beech wood served as the painting support, treated with oil paint as was usual for the period. The precisely guided hand shows in the small details of landscape and garments and attests to Cranach's craftsmanship.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)