Peter Paul Rubens, 'The Judgement of Paris', about 1597-9
About the work
Overview
This painting depicts a critical moment in classical mythology. The man on the left with his back to us is Paris, who had been raised as a shepherd but was actually a prince of Troy. He has been asked to judge a beauty contest between the goddesses Venus, Juno and Minerva, and to award a golden apple to the winner. We see Paris hand the apple to Venus, won over by her promise to reward him with the love of the most beautiful mortal woman – Helen, the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta.
It is a choice that will lead to Paris’ eventual abduction of Helen, the Greeks' attempts to recapture her and the eventual destruction of Troy. Here, however, his decision is not depicted as a portent, but is hailed by the god Mercury, while four putti descend from the sky to assist in Venus’ coronation. Juno, a look of fury developing on her face, reaches out as though to try and intervene, while Minerva, her back to us, has yet to react.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Judgement of Paris
- Artist
- Peter Paul Rubens
- Artist dates
- 1577 - 1640
- Date made
- about 1597-9
- Medium and support
- oil on wood
- Dimensions
- 133.9 × 174.5 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1966
- Inventory number
- NG6379
- Location
- Room 18
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Frame
- 17th-century Italian Frame
Provenance
Probably Anon. sale (consigned from Italy by Henry Tresham (†)) Christie’s, 3 June ( = 2nd day), 1815 (27) bt. in for 1,500 gns. Bt. between 1934–1940 by A. Coulter of York and sold to Robert Savage of Northampton; Anon. [ = Mrs. Savage] sale, Christie’s, July, 1966 (183) withdrawn; Mrs. Savage sale, Christie’s, 25 November, 1966 (49) bt. in; bought, through Christie’s, from Mrs. Savage, December, 1966.
Additional information
This painting is included in a list of works with incomplete provenance from 1933–1945; for more information see Whereabouts of paintings 1933–1945.
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Gregory Martin, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Flemish School: circa 1600–circa 1900’, London 1986; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Exhibition history
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2017Rubens: The Power of TransformationKunsthistorisches Museum Wien18 October 2017 - 14 January 2018Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie8 February 2018 - 3 June 2018
Bibliography
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1967The National Gallery, The National Gallery: January 1965 - December 1966, London 1967
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1968J. Neumann, 'Aus den Jugendjahren des Peter Paul Rubens: Eine Versammlung der olympischen Götter', Jahrbuch des Kunsthistorischen Institutes der Universität Graz, 3-4, 1968-9, pp. 73-125
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1968M. Jaffé, 'Rubens in Italy II: Some Rediscovered Works of the First Phase', The Burlington Magazine, CX/781, 1968, pp. 174-87
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1970G. Martin, The Flemish School, circa 1600-circa 1900, London 1970
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1977M. Jaffé, Rubens and Italy, Oxford 1977
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1979E. Larsen, 'New Suggestions Concerning George Jamesone', Gazette des beaux-arts, XCIV, 1979, pp. 9-18
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1983J. Held, 'Thoughts on Rubens' Beginnings', in W.H. Wilson and W. McFarland (eds), Papers Presented at the International Rubens Symposium, April 14-16, 1982, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota 1983, pp. 14-35
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1986Martin, Gregory, National Gallery Catalogues: The Flemish School, circa 1600 - circa 1900, London 1986
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1987C. Brown, The National Gallery Schools of Painting: Flemish Paintings, London 1987
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1987C. White, Peter Paul Rubens: Man and Artist, New Haven 1987
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1988F. Folliot, A. Forray-Carlier and F. Mardrus, Le Palais Royal (exh. cat. Musée Carnavalet, 9 May - 4 September 1988), Paris 1988
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1989M. Jaffé, Rubens: Catalogo completo, Milan 1989
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1989C. Scribner, Peter Paul Rubens, New York 1989
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1989J. Müller Hofstede, '"Stolidi Iudicium Paridis": Zur Ikonologie des Parisurteils bei Peter Paul Rubens', Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch, L, 1989, pp. 163-87
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1992H. Damisch, Le Jugement de Pâris, Paris 1992
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1994A. Thomas, An Illustrated Dictionary of Narrative Painting, London 1994
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1994E. Larsen, 'Ein unbekanntes Hauptwerk des Peter Paul Rubens aus seiner italienischen Zeit: "Die Flucht des Äneas aus Troja', Pantheon, LII, 1994, pp. 79-85
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1996F. Huemer, Rubens and the Roman Circle: Studies of the First Decade, London 1996
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1996C. Brown, Rubens's Landscapes (exh. cat. The National Gallery, 16 October 1996 - 19 January 1997), London 1996
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1997F. Healy, Rubens and the Judgement of Paris: A Question of Choice, Turnhout 1997
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1997R.E. Scott and S.C. Scott (eds), Rembrandt, Rubens, and the Art of Their Time: Recent Perspectives, Univerisity Park PA 1997
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1998P. Taylor, 'The Glow in late Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Dutch Painting', Leids Kunsthistorisch Jaarboek, XI, 1998, pp. 159-78
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2000E. Mai (ed.), Faszination Venus: Bilder einer Göttin von Cranach bis Cabanel, Cologne 2000
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2000F. Healy, 'Die Venus in der niederländischen Kunst des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts', in E. Mai (ed.), Faszination Venus: Bilder einer Göttin von Cranach bis Cabanel, Cologne 2000, pp. 115-59
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2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
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2004W. Seipel, R. Trnek and J. Kräftner (eds), Rubens in Vienna. The Masterpieces: The Pictures in the Collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein, the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Gemäldegalerie der Akademie Der Bildenden Künste in Vienna, Vienna 2004
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2005D. Jaffé et al., Rubens: A Master in the Making (exh. cat. The National Gallery, 26 October 2005 - 15 January 2006), London 2005
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2007E.J. Sluijter, 'Ovidius' Herscheppingen herschapen: Over de populariserung van mythologische thematiek in beeld en word', De Zeventiende Eeuw, XXIII, 2007, pp. 45-75
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2011J. Kräftner, 'Rubens dans les collections princières du Lichtenstein - Rubens in the princely collections of Liechtenstein', in J. Kräftner and C. Messensee (eds), Splendeurs des Collections du Prince de Liechtenstein – Splendours of the Collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein, Montreuil 2011, pp. 66-75
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2016E. Bergvelt and M. Jonker, Dutch and Flemish Paintings: Dulwich Picture Gallery, London 2016
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2016C. van de Velde et al., Mythological Subjects: Achilles to the Graces, ed. E. McGrath, London 2016
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2017L. Kopp, Das Urteil des Paris: Eine ikonologische Untersuchung des Paris-Mythos in den Niederlanden des 17. Jahrhunderts, Karlsruhe 2017
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2017J. Sander et al. (eds), Rubens: The Power of Transformation, Munich 2017
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2017S. Legrand et al., 'Variations on the Theme of the Goddess of Beauty', in G. Gruber et al. (eds), Rubens: The Power of Transformation, Munich 2017, pp. 79-85
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.
Images
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