Judgement of Paris - in Post-Classical Art

In Post-Classical Art

The subject became popular in art from the late Middle Ages onwards. All three goddesses were usually shown nude. In ancient art however, only Aphrodite is ever shown naked, and that is not always. The opportunity for three female nudes was a large part of the attraction of the subject. It appeared in illuminated manuscripts and was popular in decorative art, including 15th century Italian inkstands and other works in maiolica, and cassoni. As a subject for easel paintings, it was more common in Northern Europe, although Marcantonio Raimondi's engraving of ca. 1515, probably based on a drawing by Raphael, and using a composition derived from a Roman sarcophagus, was a highly influential treatment, which made Paris's Phrygian cap an attribute in most later versions. The subject was painted many times by Lucas Cranach the Elder. Rubens painted several compositions of the subject at different points in his career. Later artists painting the subject include Renoir and Salvador Dalí.