seated nude man at left holding a shield in one hand and a sphere in the other; a nude woman has her hand on the top of the sphere and is joined by two additional nude women; Mercury in full armor stands behind seated man and points at himself; cupid has his back to the viewer in the UR corner

Judgement of Paris, 1546

expand_more

Engravingexpand_more

Anonymous giftexpand_more  2018.133.2

Not on Viewexpand_more

Writers in ancient Greece told various versions of the mythical story of the Judgment of Paris. Paris, a mortal, has been called upon to judge a beauty contest between three goddesses: which win the golden orb' Escorted by Hermes, the goddesses try to impress Paris, not just with their beauty but also with other incentives. Hera offered the lands of Europe and Asia. Athena offered military might and wisdom. Aphrodite offered the love of Earth’s most beautiful woman: Helen. Aphrodite won the orb, thus Paris won Helen.

Details
Title
Judgement of Paris
Artist Life
1500–1550
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2018.133.2
Provenance
Duc d'Arenberg, Brussels and later Nord-Kirchen, Westphalia ('until 1902, 'sale Christie's, London, July 14 forward, 1902). John E. Andrus III, Wayzata, Minn. (until d. 2012); by descent to donor (2012–18); given to MIA, 2018.
Catalogue Raisonne
Pauli 1901-11 92 i/ii Hollstein 92 i/ii Bartsch VIII.153.89
Curator Approved

This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.

seated nude man at left holding a shield in one hand and a sphere in the other; a nude woman has her hand on the top of the sphere and is joined by two additional nude women; Mercury in full armor stands behind seated man and points at himself; cupid has his back to the viewer in the UR corner