The Judgment of Paris
c. 1528 · Oil on beech · The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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About this work
- Artist
- Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553)
- Year
- c. 1528
- Medium
- Oil on beech
- Original size
- 101.9 × 71.1 cm
- Collection
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
- Movement
- Northern Renaissance
Paris, the Trojan prince, sits in full armour under a tree beside his white horse, and the old messenger god Mercury, in a feathered hat, presents the three goddesses Juno, Venus and Minerva, who stand naked but for jewels and a hat, waiting for him to judge which is the most beautiful; above, Cupid takes aim with his bow, and a hilltop castle and lake fill the distance. The story ends with Paris choosing Venus, who had promised him Helen of Sparta, a choice that led to the Trojan War. Lucas Cranach the Elder painted the subject many times, and the Metropolitan Museum dates this version to about 1528. He showed Paris as a German knight rather than a shepherd, following medieval retellings of the story. His slender, elongated nudes against a dark forest are characteristic of his work for the Saxon court in Wittenberg. The panel was bought by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1928.
This exhibition-poster edition shows the whole work beneath original typography set in-house. The original is in the public domain.
Where it works
An armoured knight, a white horse and three slender goddesses in a dark wood before a distant castle and lake, for a living room, study or bedroom at 16×24 in black. A deep green, warm white or soft grey wall; it pairs with The Birth of Venus.
Style, size & framing detail
- Style
- Exhibition poster of a Northern Renaissance painting
- Era
- 16th century (c. 1528)
- Orientation
- Portrait
- Palette
- cream & beige
- Mood
- grand
- Rooms
- living room, bedroom, study or library, dining room, hallway or entryway
- Good gift for
- housewarming, art lovers
Size. We'd hang this one at 16×24. Prints at 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in — 12×18 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 16×24 above a desk, console or in a hallway; 24×36 as the statement piece above a sofa or bed.
Framing. Exhibition posters sit best in a slim black frame with no mat — the typeset margin is the mat.
Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).
Details & materials
Shipping & returns
Is this the whole painting, or a crop?
Is The Judgment of Paris in the public domain?
What is it printed on?
When was The Judgment of Paris painted, and in what medium?
What size works above a sofa or bed?
About this design
The Madten promise
A fine-art print
The same artwork as a clean fine-art print — the image shown large with a minimal caption.

















