The Judgment of Paris

Giovanni Sons's Judgment of Paris from the late sixteenth century depicts the mythological beauty contest that precipitated the Trojan War. Sons was an Italian painter active in the late Renaissance whose work on this classical subject reflects the continued popularity of Ovidian mythological themes in Italian painting. The subject allowed painters to display their skill in rendering the female nude while engaging with a narrative rich in moral and political allegory.

The oil on canvas shows the warm, Venetian-influenced palette and idealized figure style characteristic of late Renaissance mythological painting. The composition arranges the three goddesses and Paris in a classical landscape setting with careful attention to the varied poses of the nude figures.