The Judgement of Paris

The Judgement of Paris

Title

The Judgement of Paris

[Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

Three naked ladies stands in the middle (the goddesses Venus, Juno and Minerva), on the right side a horse standing behind a tree, on the left side a man in reddish clothes bent over a man in armor lying in the grass (the son of King Priam of Troy, Paris).

Three naked ladies stands in the middle (the goddesses Venus, Juno and Minerva), on the right side a horse standing behind a tree, on the left side a man in reddish clothes bent over a man in armor lying in the grass (the son of King Priam of Troy, Paris). The background of the painting is a landscape with mountains and trees.

[Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Exhib. Cat. Lübeck 2021, no. 32]
[Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]
[Exhib. Cat. Hamburg 2003, no. 67]

Production date
1527

Production date

1527

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 50.5 x 38.0 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 50.5 x 38.0 cm

  • Dimensions including frame: 62.2 x 49.9 cm

  • [Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia at the bottom left: winged serpent with elevated wings facing left and dated '1527'; in black paint

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia at the bottom left: winged serpent with elevated wings facing left and dated '1527'; in black paint

  • [Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

Inscriptions and Labels

On verso: - with chalk: "Lucas Cranach"

  • KMS stamp Sp. 718.

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • On verso: - with chalk: "Lucas Cranach"

    • KMS stamp Sp. 718.
Owner
Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen
Repository
Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen
Location
Copenhagen
CDA ID
DK_SMK_KMSsp718
FR (1978) Nr.
FR252
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DK_SMK_KMSsp718/

Provenance

  • purchased in 1744
    [Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

Exhibitions

Sølvgade, SMK, Copenhagen, 2002-04-26 - 2002-09-08
Hamburg 2003, no. 67
Sølvgade, SMK, Copenhagen, 2009-05-30
Brussels, 2010-10-20 - 2011-01-23
Lübeck 2021, no. 32

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Lübeck 2021 220, 221 032 Fig. p. 221
EditorDagmar Täube
TitleLucas Cranach der Ältere und Hans Kemmer. Meistermaler zwischen Renaissance und Reformation [Lübeck, St. Annen-Museum]
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2021
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010 190-191 101 pp. 190, 205
EditorBozarbooks & Lannoo, Guido Messling
TitleDie Welt des Lucas Cranach. Ein Künstler im Zeitalter von Dürer, Tizian und Metsys [anlässlich der Ausstellung "Die Welt des Lucas Cranach", Palast der Schönen Künste, Brüssel, 20. Oktober 2010 - 23. Januar 2011]
Place of PublicationBrussels
Year of Publication2010
Show Literature
Hinz 2010 B 47 p. 47
AuthorBerthold Hinz
TitleAktmalerei bei Cranach. Ein neuer Geschäftszweig
Publicationin Guido Messling, ed., Die Welt des Lucas Cranach. Ein Künstler im Zeitalter von Dürer, Tizian und Metsys, Exhib. Cat. Brussels
Place of PublicationBrussels
Year of Publication2010
Pages42-53
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Hamburg 2003 73, 180 067 Pl. 67
EditorBucerius Kunst Forum, Werner Schade
TitleLucas Cranach. Glaube, Mythologie und Moderne [Bucerius Kunst Forum, Hamburg]
Place of PublicationOstfildern-Ruit
Year of Publication2003
Show Literature
Foister 2003 118, 119 67 Fig. 4
AuthorSusan Foister
TitleCranachs Mythologien. Quellen und Originalität
Publicationin Heinz Spielmann, Werner Schade, eds., Lucas Cranach. Glaube, Mythologie und Moderne, Exhib. Cat. Hamburg 2003
Place of PublicationOstfildern-Ruit
Year of Publication2003
Pages116-129
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Copenhagen 2002 54, 56, 57, 69 No. 34 Fig. p. 54
AuthorHanne Kolind Poulsen
TitleCranach [Statens Museum for Kunst , Copenhagen]
Place of PublicationCopenhagen
Year of Publication2002
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Cologne, Munich 2000 364 No. 63 Fig. p. 365
AuthorEkkehard Mai
EditorWallraf-Richartz-Museum
TitleFaszination Venus. Bilder einer Göttin von Cranach bis Cabanel
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2000
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 No. 252
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Himoud-Sperlich 1977 34 Fig. 163
AuthorInge El- Himoud-Sperlich
TitleDas Urteil des Paris. Studien zur Bildtradition des Themas im 16. Jh.
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication1977
Show Literature
Blackmore 1965 54 Fig.
AuthorHoward L. Blackmore
TitleArms and Armour
Place of PublicationLondon
Year of Publication1965
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 207
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1932
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/friedlaender1932
Show Literature
Rogers 1932 29ff.
AuthorMeyric R. Rogers
TitleThe Judgement of Paris by Lucas Cranach the Elder
JournalBulletin of the City Art Museum of Saint Louis
IssueVol. 17/3
Year of Publication1932
Pages30-32
Show Literature
Wehle 1929/1930
AuthorHarry B. Wehle
TitleA Judgement of Paris by Lucas Cranach
JournalMetropolitan Museum Studies
Issue2
Year of Publication1929
Pages1-12
Show Literature
Ameseder 1910 65ff.
AuthorRudolf Ameseder
TitleEin Parisurteil Lukas Cranachs d. Ä. in der Landesgalerie zu Graz
JournalRepertorium für Kunstwissenschaft
Issue33
Year of Publication1910
Link http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/artdok/volltexte/2014/2607
Pages65-84
Show Literature
Vollmer 1909 552
AuthorHans Vollmer
TitleDie alte Gemäldegalerie in Kopenhagen
JournalMonatshefte für Kunstwissenschaft
Issue2, 1909
Year of Publication1909
Pages549-560
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

  • The motif of the painting is used in a series of pictures by Cranach the Elder from approx. 1512-14, and already in 1508 in one of his woodcuts (PPS, 26.62).

  • Already in the first half of the 15th century the motif was used in the middle of the Rhineland (see: Von Bode 1918).

  • The importance of the motif is clear from the inscriptions on similar pictures, cf.: Durrieu, "La legend du Roi de Mercie" in Monuments Piot XXIV (1920) 149ff.

[Mette Kokkenborg, Statens Museum for Kunst, 2013]

  • The Judgement of Paris, 1527

Images

Compare images
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Documents

Technical studies

2013Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • reverse
  • reverse

Support

The support is a wood panel and 5 mm thick.

The grain pattern is quite strong, very clear rays show at the lower edge. There are one join, reinforces on reverse probably with vegetable fibres. The reverse of the panel also has some kind of coating (varnish maybe, since it is not ground or paint).

The reverse of the panel has a rough finish and shows horizontal marks of the type made by an adze.

All four sides of the panel are bevelled. And half way up the right edge (verso) some wood is adhered, possibly the remains of an engaged frame.

The corners of the panel are curving slightly backwards.

Some inactive woodworm holes on the backside (apparently confined to the narrow plank, left).

Reverse has a chalk inscription: Lucas Cranach (with something illegible above) and the KMS stamp Sp. 718.

Ground and Imprimatura

The ground is white, relatively thick (probably chalk and size) and has some tiny flake losses.

Paint Layers and Gilding

The painting is painted with oil paint.

There are small old retouches almost all over the painting and small paint losses along the edges of the painting.

The painting has ageing cracks all over the surface.

The varnish are stable and not discoloured, but mat (an old degraded varnish layer was removed in 2001).

Framing

The frame is painted black and partly gilded. It is a wave moulded wooden frame.

The frame has small losses, dents, abrasions and scratches along the outer edges. And there are old repairs and retouches at all bars.

Unknown whether the frame is the original.

[Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

2002Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • UV-light photography
  • uv_light
  • photographed by Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen

2001Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • UV-light photography
  • uv_light
  • photographed by Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen

22.04.1997Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • examined by Rachael Billinge

Condition Reports

Date16.06.2010

  • examined by Henrietta Havsteen-Mikkelsen

Date25.03.2003 - 25.03.2005

  • examined by Henrik Bjerre

Date1966

  • examined by Ole Alkærsig

Conservation History

Date01.11.2001 - 03. 2002

  • uv_light
  • uv_light
  • conservation
  • conservation
  • conservation
  • conservation
  • conservation
  • conservation
  • conservation
  • conservation
  • conservation
  • conservation treatment by Lone Bøgh

Date1966 - 1969

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/DK_SMK_KMSsp718/ (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/DK_SMK_KMSsp718/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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