Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena preparing themselves for the contest of beauty before Paris; from 'Recueil d'estampes d'après les plus beaux tableaux et d'après les plus beaux desseins qui sont en France, Cabinet Crozat' after Perino del Vaga
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 20 7/8 × 15 3/16 in. (53 × 38.5 cm) Plate: 16 1/4 × 12 3/8 in. (41.3 × 31.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1960
Accession Number
60.708(83)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking etching and engraving captures a pivotal moment from Greek mythology: the goddesses Hera (Juno), Aphrodite (Venus), and Athena (Minerva) preparing for the Judgment of Paris. The three deities, shown as graceful female nudes, ready themselves for the famous beauty contest that would ultimately spark the Trojan War. The composition, originally designed by the Italian Mannerist artist Perino del Vaga (Pietro Buonaccorsi) in the 16th century, highlights their elegant poses and classical beauty. Created around 1729–40 by engraver Philippe Simonneau, this print forms part of the influ...
About the Artist
Perino del Vaga (Pietro Buonaccorsi)|Philippe Simonneau · 1501–1547
Perino del Vaga, born Piero Bonaccorsi in 1501 near Florence, emerged as one of the most elegant painters of the Mannerist era. Orphaned early—his mother died when he was two months old and his father, a gambler turned soldier, left him in the care of a stepmother—Perino received an unconventional start, apprenticed first to a druggist and then to the mediocre Andrea de' Ceri. At age eleven, he en...