Cranach, Lucas the Elder (1472-1553)
Judgement of Paris
1530
Oil and tempera on panel, 50.8 x 36.4 cm
Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis
Lucas Cranach’s interpretation of the Judgment of Paris is a medieval retelling of an ancient beauty contest. Paris is the knight in reddish armor who dreams of the Roman god Mercury, dressed in dazzling peacock feathers, who commands him to choose the most beautiful goddess. The coy Juno (far right) and flirtatious Minerva (center) try their best to win—even rouging their buttocks! Yet it is Venus, the goddess of love, who claims the prize of the golden apple. The horse hiding in the foliage catches our eye to remind us that Paris’s choice will set off the Trojan War. (SLAM)