The Judgment of Paris

The Judgment of Paris, painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder in 1528, depicts the mythological moment when the young Trojan must choose the most beautiful of Juno, Minerva and Venus. The myth tells that Discord, left out of a divine wedding, threw a golden apple among the guests, and the three goddesses each claimed it. Here Paris appears as a warrior in armour of Cranach's own day rather than as the shepherd of ancient sources, and he looks somewhat drowsy, as if the scene unfolds in a dream, a feature inherited from medieval retellings. Beside him, Mercury holds the prize, which in the myth is an apple but here has become a glass sphere. Above, Cupid aims his arrow at Venus, pointing toward the outcome.

The picture stands out for how alike the three women are. They are barely told apart and lack the attributes that usually identify them, such as Minerva's helmet or Juno's peacock, a vagueness that seems to stress how hard the choice is. Venus occupies the center and is the most seductive figure, which makes clear where the judgment leans. Cranach returned to the subject many times, first in an engraving of 1508 of his own, and his workshop produced numerous variants, so this New York version belongs to a much later stage. A preparatory sketch, dated by most scholars between 1527 and 1530, probably served as a starting point.

Its meaning has been debated. One humanist reading connects it with a choice between the contemplative, the active and the voluptuous life, so that Paris's error becomes a warning against sensual pleasure. Other scholars doubt the goddesses are distinct enough to carry such an allegory and see instead a deliberately ambiguous play of ideas. A social reading has also been proposed, suggesting such images could decorate bedrooms and offer women a message about marriage. No interpretation is definitive, and that plurality is part of the painting's appeal.

Painter

Lucas Cranach the Elder

Date

1528

Medium

paint, beech wood

Dimensions

102 × 71 cm

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

Genre

mythological painting

Depicts

Juno, Minerva, Paris, Judgement of Paris, nude, Venus, Cupid, horse

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