Existing comment:
Francois-Xavier Fabre
The Judgment of Paris, 1807-08
In this painting, the artist depicts an ancient story that, while seemingly benign, eventually resulted in one of the greatest conflicts of the ancient world: the Trojan War. Zeus sent Hermes to ask the Trojan prince Paris to decide which of three goddesses -- Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite -- was the most beautiful. As bribes, Athena offered Paris wisdom; Hera offered him wealth and power. The prince gave the prize to Aphrodite, however, who had promised him the love of any woman he desired. He chose Helen, wife of King Menclaus of Sparta, a decision that led to war between Greece and Ilium (Troy). Fabre shows Paris making his unwise choice, while the three goddesses, each representing a different type of female beauty, pose before him as if in a beauty pageant.
Following the Neoclassical precepts for history painting established by his teacher, Jacques-Louis David, Fabre based his composition on a design by Raphael, who was considered to be the ideal artist of the High Renaissance. Fabre also faithfully used ancient Roman copies of Greek sculptures as models for Venus (Aphrodite) and Minerva (Athena) -- the Medici Venus from Florence and the Minerva Giustiniani from a 17th century Roman collection. In his fidelity to both antique and Renaissance sculptural and painted prototypes, Fabre followed contemporary dictates for history painting. |