On-line gallery
- Reference number
- P01731
- Author
- Rubens, Peter Paul (Flemish)
- Title
- The Judgement of Paris
- Chronology
- Ca. 1605
- Technique
- Support
- Measures
- 91 cm x 114 cm
- School
- Theme
- Shown
- Yes
- Entrance
- COLECCION REAL
- Procedence
- Royal Collection
As Homer tells it in The Iliad,
Paris the shepherd, son of Priam,
had to decide with of the three
goddesses —Juno, Venus or Minerva—
was the most beautiful, and give
her the golden apple Mercury he had
received from Mercury. On the left,
Paris appears to be meditating,
with the apple still in his hands.
His attention is focused on Venus,
in the middle of the composition.
Minerva's weapons are visible in
the foreground.
The setting and elegance of this
work bear a clear relation to
southern painting as a result of
the artist's stay in Italy. The
figures are based on classical
sculptures and the influence of
mannerist painting is visible in
the sinuous rhythm of their
anatomies.
This work was first documented at
Madrid's Alcázar Palace in 1666.
Location on the map
