- Museum number
- 1895,0122.367
- Description
-
Judgement of Paris; Paris in armour sleeping, Eris in contemporary dress, star-shaped emanation with blindfolded cupid in top left corner. 1511
Woodcut
Another impression from the same block is on the verso.
- Production date
- 1511
- Dimensions
-
Height: 201 millimetres
-
Width: 160 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Another impression from the same block is on the verso.
See G. Bartrum, 'German Renaissance Prints', exh. cat. BM 1995, no. 189.
Text from Bartrum 1995
Literature: Bartsch, 60; C. Dodgson, II, p.230, 60; Hollstein, 75; Winzinger, 16.
The classical myth is represented here in a Germanic mountainous landscape. The beauty contest between Juno, Minerva and Venus, the event which led to the abduction of Helen and the sack of Troy, is unusually depicted as a dream which occurred to Paris. This interpretation follows the description of the episode in a romance of the story of Troy by Guido da Colonna, the 'Historia destructionis Trojae', published in Strasbourg in 1489. While hunting in woods, Paris, the son of King Priam of Troy, went astray and lay down to rest after tying his horse to a tree. He is represented here in full armour, lying asleep on the ground with his horse near by. The seated figure on the right with the caduceus on his knee is Mercury, the god who induced sleep and dreams, and the woman in contemporary dress who holds the golden apple represents Eris, the goddess of discord.
Altdorfer's composition is influenced by Cranach's woodcut of the same subject of 1508 (Bartsch, 114), in which the event is also represented as a dream.The star-shaped emanation in the upper left corner, where Altdorfer has placed a blindfolded Cupid aiming an arrow at the sleeping Paris, is inspired by similar devices in Dürer's woodcuts of the 490s. The landscape shows characteristic features of the Danube school style, particularly the long drooping foliage which is commonly seen in Altdorfer's drawings before the date of this print, 1511. His interpretation of the subject may be compared with the later engravings of the 'Judgement of Paris' by the Beham brothers (see 1845,0809.1214) in which the narrative content is much reduced in order to emphasise the erotic potential of the theme.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1995 Jun-Oct, BM, 'German Renaissance Prints, 1490-1550', no.189
1996 Jun-Aug, Canterbury, Royal Mus and AG, German Renaissance Prints
1996 Nov-Dec, Edinburgh, NG of Scotland, German Renaissance Prints
1997 Jan-Mar, Cardiff, Nat Mus of Wales, German Renaissance Prints
1997 Apr-May, Llandudno, Oriel Mostyn Gallery, German Renaissance Prints
1997 Oct-Dec, Norwich, Sainsbury Centre, German Renaissance Prints
- Acquisition date
- 1895
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1895,0122.367