Lot Essay
The Judgement of Paris is taken from Hyginus 92 and Lucian "Dialogues of the Gods," 20, which relates the tale of Paris judging a beauty contest between Juno, Minerva and Venus. The outcome set into motion the series of tragic events that culminated in the Trojan War and the fall of Troy.
Paris was the son of Priam, the King of Troy, whose mother had abandoned him to die on Mount Ida after a seer had prophesised that the child would grow up to destroy the city. A shepherd found him and raised him. At his marriage to the nymph Oenone, the goddess of Strife, Eris, was angered because she had been excluded from the banquet and she disrupted the party by throwing down an apple inscribed "to the fairest." Three goddesses claimed the apple as theirs and Jupiter ordered Mercury to have Paris make the choice. Each of the goddesses tried to influence Paris's decision: Juno with promises of land and riches, Minerva with victories in battle and Venus with the love of any woman he chose. Venus's description of Helen, Queen of Sparta, who was said to be the most beautiful woman alive, persuaded Paris that she could be his and so the apple was awarded to Venus. Paris sailed to Sparta and abducted Helen from her husband, King Menelaus. This action provoked the Trojan War which ended with the destruction of Troy--thus confirming the prophesy of the seer.
In depicting the myth, Flint does not deviate from the traditional classical iconography: Juno is shown with her peacock, Minerva with her aegis (a shield with the image of a Gorgon's head) and Paris with the apple. The subject had been popularized by artists for generations; however, many of these older models had focused on the banquet scene. Flint chose to reduce the composition to only the critical characters. This modern sensibility served to emphasize the psychological drama of the moment. He further achieves this with bold use of contrasting color and through the compositional arrangement of the figures: Paris is alone at the edge of the picture while the goddesses are assembled as a formidable group in the center. Their forceful gazes and posturing also emphasize the theatrical aspects of the story. Paris clutches the apple closely, seemingly enjoying his recent empowerment, while the three goddesses confidently return his stare.
Paris was the son of Priam, the King of Troy, whose mother had abandoned him to die on Mount Ida after a seer had prophesised that the child would grow up to destroy the city. A shepherd found him and raised him. At his marriage to the nymph Oenone, the goddess of Strife, Eris, was angered because she had been excluded from the banquet and she disrupted the party by throwing down an apple inscribed "to the fairest." Three goddesses claimed the apple as theirs and Jupiter ordered Mercury to have Paris make the choice. Each of the goddesses tried to influence Paris's decision: Juno with promises of land and riches, Minerva with victories in battle and Venus with the love of any woman he chose. Venus's description of Helen, Queen of Sparta, who was said to be the most beautiful woman alive, persuaded Paris that she could be his and so the apple was awarded to Venus. Paris sailed to Sparta and abducted Helen from her husband, King Menelaus. This action provoked the Trojan War which ended with the destruction of Troy--thus confirming the prophesy of the seer.
In depicting the myth, Flint does not deviate from the traditional classical iconography: Juno is shown with her peacock, Minerva with her aegis (a shield with the image of a Gorgon's head) and Paris with the apple. The subject had been popularized by artists for generations; however, many of these older models had focused on the banquet scene. Flint chose to reduce the composition to only the critical characters. This modern sensibility served to emphasize the psychological drama of the moment. He further achieves this with bold use of contrasting color and through the compositional arrangement of the figures: Paris is alone at the edge of the picture while the goddesses are assembled as a formidable group in the center. Their forceful gazes and posturing also emphasize the theatrical aspects of the story. Paris clutches the apple closely, seemingly enjoying his recent empowerment, while the three goddesses confidently return his stare.