The Judgment of Paris (1508)
Original title: The Judgment of Paris
kurzbeschreibung
A woodcut by Lucas Cranach the Elder, dated 1508 and measuring 36.5 × 25.7 cm, presents the Judgment of Paris: the armored Paris must choose the fairest among three goddesses. The figures stand in a landscape.
Description
In the foreground an armored figure sits and speaks with a standing woman; another standing woman leans forward in a deep pose. Trees, a mountainous region and a city form the backdrop. Socks hang from the branches. Crisp contours and fine hatching give structure to the monochrome sheet, whose light falls evenly, with no noticeable shadows.
Context
In 1508 Cranach was employed as court painter in Wittenberg. The Judgment of Paris counted as a popular subject in the Renaissance, often used to display female beauty. This print belongs to a series of mythological sheets Cranach produced for the art market; who commissioned it is not recorded.
Impact
The dense network of lines gives the scene a clear, narrative structure. The calm arrangement and even light create a detached, timeless mood. The contrast between mythological figures and everyday details such as the hanging socks lends the sheet a peculiar appeal.
Technique
For this woodcut the drawing was cut into a wooden block and afterward printed onto paper. The process allows fine lines and hatching, which here take on a sculptural quality. Printed on one side only, the sheet ranks among the early examples of Cranach's work in printmaking.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)