The Judgement of Paris

Title

[Cat. Karlsruhe 1966, 91]

Painting on beech wood

Medium

Painting on beech wood

[Klein, Report 1992]
[Cat. Karlsruhe 1966, 91]

Paris sits on a stone wearing magnificent armour and appears to have just been woken by Hermes. Hermes is depicted as a barefooted old man in golden armour with a crystal ball. He bends down to Paris. Three nude Goddesses present themselves in varying poses next to the messenger of the Gods. Their nakedness is emphasised rather than concealed by thin veils. A spring arises from beneath the stone on which Paris sits, behind him is a tree to which he has bound his horse. The horse appears as surprised by the encounter as his master. Cupid appears in the upper left corner, ready to shoot his arrow.

[Görres, cda 2012]

Attributions: Lucas Cranach the Elder
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Elder	[Cat. Karlsruhe 1966, 91] [Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937, no. 76]
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder	[Ameseder 1910, 65ff.]

Production date: 1530

Production date

1530

[dated]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 35 x 23.7 x 0.5-1.3 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 35 x 23.7 x 0.5-1.3 cm
(trimmed slightly along the upper edge, revese in original condition)
[Heydenreich, cda 2011]

Signature / Dating: Artist's insignia bottom left: winged serpent and date '1530'

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia bottom left: winged serpent and date '1530'
[Cat. Karlsruhe 1966, 91]

Inscriptions and Labels

Reverse of the panel: - top centre: 'A (?) 110' in black paint

centre, left: printed white label with a …

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

Reverse of the panel: - top centre: 'A (?) 110' in black paint
- centre, left: printed white label with a frame and type script:
'Cranach-Ausstellung 1937
Deutsches Museum Berlin [printed]
Karlsruhe, Badische Kunsthalle, Hans Thomastr. 2
Das Parisurteil' [type script, title underlined]
- bottom left: printed yellow label with a black frame and handwritten annotations:
'Badische Kunsthalle Karlsruhe Inv. Nr. 109 [number handwritten]
Cranach L. [handwritten]
Geprüft 1935. [last figure and dot handwritten]
Parisurteil [handwritten]
- bottom, centre: remains of a red wax seal, probably the baden-saxon-lauenburg alliance coat-of-arms
[Görres, cda 2012]

Owner: Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
Repository: Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
Location: Karlsruhe

CDA ID: DE_SKK_0109
FR (1978) Nr.: FR255
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKK_0109/

Provenance

the collection of Margravine Sibylla Augusta of Baden-Baden (Inventory 1691) from the inheritance of the Dukes of Saxony-Lauenburg in the castle of Theusing, Bohemia (Inventar Theusing, Nr. 42)
[Renner 1941, 62, 186, pl. 4][1]
[Gnirs 1933, 163 ff.][1]
in the 18th century in the castle of Rastatt (Inventory from 1772, fol. 202r)
in 1832 transferred from there to the Kunsthalle

[1][Cat. Karlsruhe 1966, 91]
[Kunsthalle Karlsruhe,revised 2012]

Exhibitions

Berlin 1937, no. 76
St. Gallen 1947, no. 8
Mannheim 1947/48, no. 10
Karlsruhe 1955, no. 295

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Cat. Coburg 2018

36, 142

under no. 2

Author	Klaus Weschenfelder
Title	Cranach in Coburg. Gemälde von Lucas Cranach d.Ä., Lucas Cranach d.J., der Werkstatt und des Umkreises in den Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg
Place of Publication	Regensburg
Year of Publication	2018

Show Literature

Bonnet, Görres 2015

60-61

p. 61

Author	Anne-Marie Bonnet, Daniel Görres
Title	Lucas Cranach d. Ä. - Maler der Deutschen Renaissance
Place of Publication	Munich
Year of Publication	2015

Show Literature

Sandner, Heydenreich, Smith-Contini 2015

134, Fn. 109

Author	Gunnar Heydenreich, Ingo Sandner, Helen Smith-Contini
Title	Veränderungen beim Unterzeichnen in Cranachs Werkstatt und die Arbeitsweise von Sohn Lucas
Publication	in Elke A. Werner, Anne Eusterschulte, Gunnar Heydenreich, eds., Lucas Cranach der Jüngere und die Reformation der Bilder
Place of Publication	Munich
Year of Publication	2015
Link	https://lucascranach.org/application/files/5215/6337/7366/Heydenreich_Sandner_Smith-Contini_2015_-_Unterzeichnung.pdf
Pages	128-141

Show Literature

Werner 2015 B

169

Author	Elke Anna Werner
Title	Fehlurteile. Das Urteil des Paris von Lucas Cranach d. Ä. (ehem. im Gotischen Haus Wörlitz) und seine Forschungsgeschichte
Publication	in Kulturstiftung Dessau-Wörlitz, ed., Cranach im Gotischen Haus in Wörlitz, Exhib. Cat. Wörlitz
Place of Publication	Munich
Year of Publication	2015
Pages	163-170

Show Literature

Bonnet, Kopp-Schmidt, Görres 2010

172-173

Author	Anne-Marie Bonnet, Gabriele Kopp-Schmidt, Daniel Görres
Title	Die Malerei der deutschen Renaissance
Place of Publication	Munich
Year of Publication	2010

Show Literature

Hinz 2010 B

Author	Berthold Hinz
Title	Aktmalerei bei Cranach. Ein neuer Geschäftszweig
Publication	in Guido Messling, ed., Die Welt des Lucas Cranach. Ein Künstler im Zeitalter von Dürer, Tizian und Metsys, Exhib. Cat. Brussels
Place of Publication	Brussels
Year of Publication	2010
Pages	42-53

Show Literature

Widmaier-Picasso 2005

66, 67, 76 Fn. 3, 18

Fig. 6

Author	Diana Widmaier-Picasso
Title	Picasso und Cranach der Ältere. Kunst als Lebenskraft
Publication	in Harald Marx, Ingrid Mössinger, Karin Kolb, ed., Cranach. Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz
Place of Publication	Cologne
Year of Publication	2005
Pages	64-77

Show Literature

Koepplin 2003 C

153-155

Fig. 56

Author	Dieter Koepplin
Title	Ein Cranach-Prinzip
Publication	in Heinz Spielmann, Werner Schade, eds., Lucas Cranach. Glaube, Mythologie und Moderne, Exhib. Cat. Hamburg 2003
Place of Publication	Ostfildern-Ruit
Year of Publication	2003
Pages	144-165

Show Literature

Spielmann

9, 10

Fig. 5

Author	Heinz Spielmann
Title	Cranach als Parameter
Publication	in Heiz Spielmann, Werner Schade, eds., Lucas Cranach Glaube Mythologie und Maderne , Exhib. Cat. Hamburg 2003
Place of Publication	Ostfildern-Ruit
Year of Publication	2003
Pages	6-11

Show Literature

Hinz 1994 B

176, 177

Fig. A119

Author	Berthold Hinz
Title	Sinnwidrig zusammengestellte Fabrikate? Zur Varianten-Praxis der Cranach-Werkstatt
Publication	in Claus Grimm, Johannes Erichsen, Evamaria Brockhoff, eds., Lucas Cranach. Ein Maler-Unternehmer aus Franken, Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994
Series	Veröffentlichungen zur bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur
Volume	26
Place of Publication	Augsburg, Regensburg
Year of Publication	1994
Pages	174-179

Show Literature

Klein 1994 A

196, 199

Tabs. 4, 8

Author	Peter Klein
Title	Lucas Cranach und seine Werkstatt. Holzarten und dendrochronologische Analyse
Publication	in Claus Grimm, Johannes Erichsen, Evamaria Brockhoff, eds.,Lucas Cranach. Ein Maler-Unternehmer aus Franken, Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994
Series	Veröffentlichungen zur bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur
Volume	26
Place of Publication	Augsburg, Coburg
Year of Publication	1994
Pages	194-200

Show Literature

Schade, Schuttwolf 1994

Author	Werner Schade, Allmuth Schuttwolf
Title	Malerei und Plastik
Publication	in Allmuth Schuttwolf, ed., Gotteswort und Menschenbild. Werke von Cranach und seinen Zeitgenossen, Exhib. Cat. Gotha
Place of Publication	Gotha
Year of Publication	1994
Pages	15-94

Show Literature

Cat. Karlsruhe 1988

Title	150 Gemälde vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart
Place of Publication	Karlsruhe
Year of Publication	1988

Show Literature

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979

255

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

Schade 1974

pl. 155

Author	Werner Schade
Title	Die Malerfamilie Cranach
Place of Publication	Dresden
Year of Publication	1974
Link	http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schade1974

Show Literature

Cat. Karlsruhe 1966

109

Author	Jan Lauts
Title	Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe. Katalog Alter Meister bis 1800
Volume	1, 2
Place of Publication	Karlsruhe
Year of Publication	1966

Show Literature

Cat. Karlsruhe 1964

Author	n. a.
Title	Altdeutsche Meister aus der Staatlichen Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
Place of Publication	Karlsruhe
Issue	Revised edition
Year of Publication	1964

Show Literature

Ruhmer 1963

25f.

pl. 37

Author	Eberhard Ruhmer
Title	Cranach
Place of Publication	Cologne
Year of Publication	1963

Show Literature

Cat. Karlsruhe 1958

Author	n. a.
Title	Altdeutsche Meister aus der Staatlichen Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
Place of Publication	Karlsruhe
Year of Publication	1958

Show Literature

Lauts 1957

13, 25, 44

pl. 37

Author	Jan Lauts
Title	Meisterwerke der Staatlichen Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
Place of Publication	Honnef/Rhine
Year of Publication	1957

Show Literature

Renner 1941

62, 186

pl. 4

Author	Anna Maria Renner
Title	Die Kunstinventare der Markgrafen von Baden-Baden
Place of Publication	Bühl-Baden
Year of Publication	1941

Show Literature

Winkler 1941 A

p. 155

Author	Friedrich Horst Winkler
Title	Altdeutsche Tafelmalerei
Place of Publication	Munich
Year of Publication	1941

Show Literature

Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937

076

Pl. 65

Editor	Staatliche Museen, Berlin
Title	Lucas Cranach d. Ä. und Lucas Cranach d. J. Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Graphik
Place of Publication	Berlin
Year of Publication	1937

Show Literature

Gnirs 1933

163 ff.

Author	Gnirs
Title	Handbuch der sudetendeutschen Kulturgeschichte. Bd.8: Topographie der historischen und kunstgeschichtlichen Denkmale in dem Bezirke Karlsbad
Series	Handbuch der sudetendeutschen Kulturgeschichte
Volume	8
Place of Publication	Prague
Year of Publication	1933

Show Literature

Seiffert-Wattenberg 1933

148

Author	Richard Seiffert-Wattenberg
Title	Deutsche Malerei bis Holbein
Place of Publication	Munich
Year of Publication	1933

Show Literature

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932

210

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

Singer 1925

Author	Hans Wolfgang Singer
Title	Das Parisurteil
Place of Publication	Dresden
Year of Publication	1925

Show Literature

Glaser 1923

233

Author	Curt Glaser
Title	Lukas Cranach
Place of Publication	Leipzig
Year of Publication	1923
Link	http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/glaser1923

Show Literature

Ameseder 1910

65ff.

Author	Rudolf Ameseder
Title	Ein Parisurteil Lukas Cranachs d. Ä. in der Landesgalerie zu Graz
Journal	Repertorium für Kunstwissenschaft
Issue	33
Year of Publication	1910
Link	http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/artdok/volltexte/2014/2607
Pages	65-84

Show Literature

Heidrich 1909

165

Author	Ernst Heidrich
Title	Die altdeutsche Malerei: 200 Nachbildungen mit geschichtlicher Einführung und Anmerkungen
Series	Die Kunst in Bildern
Volume	1
Place of Publication	Jena
Year of Publication	1909

Show Literature

Parthey 1863-1864

691 (vol. 1)

212

Author	Gustav Parthey
Title	Deutscher Bildersaal. Verzeichnis der in Deutschland vorhandenen Oelbilder verstorbener Maler aller Schulen
Volume	1, 2
Place of Publication	Berlin
Year of Publication	1864

Show Literature

Viardot 1864

164

Author	Louis Viardot
Title	Le Musée de Carlsruhe
Journal	Gazette des Beaux-Arts
Issue	(1864)
Year of Publication	1864
Pages	127-149

Show Literature

The Judgement of Paris, 1530

Images

Documents

DE_SKK_0109_FR255_1992_analysis-report-001.pdf

Technical studies

07. 2011Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Infrared reflectography

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- dry drawing material, dark chalk

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing

- delicate, fine lines

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours and describe the essential details and the facial features; some representation of volume created with slightly smudged chalk lines

Deviations:

- alterations made during the painting process to clearly define form

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Younger?

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
photographed by Ingo Sandner

2011Technical Examination

Support

- beech wood, vertically aligned

- original surface on the reverse retained, roughly planed with a block plane, bevelled on all four sides

- the panel is c. 0.5 cm thick at the edge, c. 1.3 cm at the centre

- on the reverse losses in the wood are filled with a white fill material

- no coating

Ground and Imprimatura

- very thin white ground

[Heydenreich, cda 2011]

14.05.1992Scientific analysis

Dendrochronology / identification of wood species

DE_SKK_0109_FR255_1992_analysis-report-001.pdf

Support

Identification of wood species: beech wood

Youngest annual ring: 1523; the earliest felling date 1524; following a two year seasoning period the panel could have been used from 1526.

The panel is from the same tree as the linked panels.

[Klein Report, 14.05.1992]

analysed by Peter Klein

Condition Reports

Date2011

Support:

trimmed along the top edge, the width of the barbe

[Heydenreich, cda 2011]

Support made from the same tree

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/DE_SKK_0109/ (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/DE_SKK_0109/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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