Paride (1816)

Canova, Antonio (1757-1822)

Paride (Paris)
1816
Marble, 203.7 x 103.7 x 55 cm
Neue PinakothekMunich

Paris, the son of the Trojan king Priam, had been abandoned as a child and found and raised by shepherds. The apple in his right hand indicates that he had to decide on Mount Ida which of the goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite should receive the prize of beauty. He gave it to Aphrodite and received the beautiful Helena as a wife as a reward, which triggered the war for Troy. In full, feminine physicality, Paris shows itself here in smug nudity. Ancient models, depictions of Eros, Paris, Satyr and Ganymede from the Praxitelian and Antonine-Hadrian periods have undergone a transformation by Canova in accordance with the taste of the time. The original model of the Paris was created around 1807, a marble version commissioned by Empress Josephine from 1809 to 1812 (today St. Petersburg, Hermitage). A second version was ordered by Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria in 1811. The following year, Canova began the Munich statue from a new block, which was completed in 1816. (Neue Pinakothek)

Compare:

Canova, Antonio (1757-1822)
Paride
18121813
Hermitage MuseumSaint Petersburg