Sir Peter Paul Rubens (June 28, 1577 - May 30, 1640) was a Flemish painter who had a major influence on Flemish Baroque art. Throughout his career, Rubens was an advocate of the extravagance and sensuality that is often associated with Baroque art. This painting, entitled “The Judgement of Paris” (1639), is one of several paintings by Rubens that depicts the famous scene in Greek mythology when the handsome prince of Troy, Paris, judges a “beauty contest” between the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. In this version, Rubens painted Hermes, the winged messenger of the gods, holding the golden apple in front of the goddesses (from left to right) Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera, while Paris is sitting at the base of a tree and thinking of which goddess should get the golden apple.
This version of “The Judgement of Paris” was the last of several paintings Rubens painted on the subject. He completed the painting in 1639 which also made it one of his very last paintings, since he died on May 30, 1640. It was commissioned by Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria (who was the brother of Philip IV of Spain) and moved to the Spanish royal collection shortly before Ferdinand’s death. Ironically, in 1788 Charles III of Spain found the painting indecorous and demanded it to be burned, however he died before anything happened.
The grandeur, major attention to detail, contrast of light and dark, exuberance, and sensuality found in this painting characterizes it as very “Baroque” to me. Whenever I look at this painting, the minor details just jump at me! The large, round, voluptuous bodies of the goddesses, the luscious curly hair, and the soft, and flowing cloth are just a few of the things that I find particularly interesting and beautifully executed. Also, the fact that it is very secular and depicts a Greek, pagan myth was very interesting to me. I definitely applaud Sir Peter Paul Rubens for creating such an beautiful piece of art!
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