Apple of Discord Thrown by Eris at the Marriage of Peleus and Thetis: Study for Fresco in the Hall of Henri II at Fountainebleau
1504–70
Medium
Red chalk, highlighted with white gouache, on beige paper
Dimensions
12-7/16 x 17-1/16 in. (31.6 x 43.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1917
Accession Number
19.76.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the lively chaos of this red chalk drawing, highlighted with white gouache on beige paper, Francesco Primatic captures a pivotal moment from Greek mythology Eris, goddess of discord, hurling the golden apple inscribed "To the fairest" at the wedding of Peleus andtis. This act sparks the Judgment of Paris, igniting the Trojan War. Created as a study for a fresco in the grand Hall of Henri II at Palace of Fontainebleauc. 1550s), it showcases Primaticcio's role in the opulent decorative program commissioned by King Francis I and his son Henry II. Primaticcio (1504/10–1570), a leading Manneris...
About the Artist
Francesco Primaticcio · 1504–1570
Primaticcio was the most influential Italian artist in France in the 16th century. Together with Rosso Fiorentino they created a style of mixing stucco decoration with mannerist paintings that became known as the Fontainebleau school. Italian painter, architect and sculptor. Comment on works: Religious; Allegory; History.