The Judgement of Paris

Title

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, No. 257]

Painting on limewood

Medium

Painting on limewood

[Cat. Graz 1995, 84-85]

Three goddesses decorated with opulent jewellery and wearing net-like pearl bonnets on their heads (excepting the middle figure) stand in front of a landscape. Each of the two figures on the left wears a transparent veil. A small figure of Cupid shown in flight at the top edge of the picture aims his arrow at the central goddess. The sleeping Paris clothed in armour is seated at the left edge of the painting and the Gods' messenger Hermes touches his left shoulder.

The head and forehand of a white horse are visible in the bushes behind Paris.

The scene takes place near a stream with a bridge, beyond a landscape with bushes and large trees opens out to reveal a castle on a rock.

[Herrschaft, Rabensteiner 2013]

Attribution: Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 121, No.257]
[Suida 1923, 35-36]

Production dates: about 1515
about 1530 - 1535

Production dates

about 1515	[Cat. Graz 1995, 84-85]
about 1515 - 1519	[Suida 1923, 35-36]
about 1530 - 1535	[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 121, No. 257]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 87 x 59 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 87 x 59 cm
Including frame: 108 x 80.2 x 9.5 cm
[Cat. Graz 1995, 84-85]

Signature / Dating: Artist's insignia on the stone at the left edge: serpent with elevated wings

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia on the stone at the left edge: serpent with elevated wings

Inscriptions and Labels: none reverse: inventory number of the Alte Galerie
[Universalmuseum Joanneum, revised 2013]

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

none

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

reverse: inventory number of the Alte Galerie
[Universalmuseum Joanneum, revised 2013]

Owner: Universalmuseum Joanneum
Repository: Alte Galerie, Schloss Eggenberg, Graz
Location: Graz

CDA ID: AT_UMJ_107
FR (1978) Nr.: FR257
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/AT_UMJ_107/

Provenance

purchased at beginning of 19th century from Mürzzuschlag with the assistance of Archduke Johann
[Cat. Graz 1995, 84-85]

Exhibitions

Stockholm 1988, No. 57
1992/3: The fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; IBM Gallery of Science and Art, New York City; The Smithsonian Institution, Washington; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Cat. No. 61
Quebec 1995
Rabenstein 2000
Graz 2004/05

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Cat. Graz 1995

84-85

Author	Christine Rabensteiner, Gottfried Biedermann, Gabriele Gmeiner-Hübel
Title	Bildwerke. Renaissance - Manierismus - Barock, Gemälde und Skulpturen aus der Alten Galerie des Steiermärkischen Landesmuseums Joanneum in Graz
Place of Publication	Klagenfurt
Year of Publication	1995

Show Literature

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979

121

No. 257

Fig. 257

Author	Max J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
Editor	G. Schwartz
Title	Die Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of Publication	Basel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication	1979

Show Literature

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932

210b

Author	Max J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
Title	Die Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of Publication	Berlin
Year of Publication	1932
Link	http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/friedlaender1932

Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

In the first half of the 16th century the subject enjoyed great popularity, which is demonstrated by more than 20 versions by the Cranach workshop.

'By and large the depictions of 'The Judgement of Paris' consist of an interchangeable repertoire of pictorial elements. Hera, Aphrodite and Athena change their positions. The costume-like attire of the protagonists, that quite conforms with the taste of about 1500, can be found in paintings by Cranach of other subject matter. In the painting in Graz the armour worn by Paris conforms with contemporary fashion, whereas the Gods' messenger Hermes wears an imaginary costume. [...]

A comparision of the painting in Graz with the most well known (Cologne, Berlin, New York) and dated (Copenhagen, 1527; Basel, 1528; Karlsruhe, 1530) versions allows us to assume a dating of about 1515. A more detailed examination of this work reveals some stylistic and iconographical similarities. The version in Cologne, dated to about 1513, marks a terminus ante quem non. The version in Graz - of which there exists an almost identical version in the Uffizi in Florence - differs from the dated paintings in numerous details; for example the pictorial space is more restricted here and the landscape represented in the background is very limited.

[G. Biedermann, Cat. Graz 1995, 85]

The Judgement of Paris, about 1515

Images

Versions

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author: <author's name>, 'The Judgement of Paris', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/AT_UMJ_107/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author: 'The Judgement of Paris', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/AT_UMJ_107/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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