Oordeel van Paris
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
65; 96
About this artwork
gravure
Art Historical Context
Behold the intricate *Oordeel van Paris* (gment of Paris), a masterful 1538 engraving by Heinrich Aldegrever, one of the renowned "Little Masters" of the Renaissance. This tiny gem, measuring just 96 mm high by 65 mm wide, captures the Greek myth where Trojan prince Paris must choose the fairest goddess among Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite—each offering bribes that spark the Trojan War. Aldegrever, a German goldsmith and engraver from Soest, renders the scene with exquisite detail, showcasing his humanist fascination with classical antiquity amid the era's religious upheavals. Crafted on a coppe...
About the Artist
Heinrich Aldegrever · 1502–1561
Heinrich Aldegrever, born in 1502 in Paderborn, Westphalia, to parents Herman and Katherine Trippenmeker—a family of clog-makers known by the dialect name Trippenmecker—emerged as a multifaceted artist in the German Renaissance. His early training remains undocumented, though he likely apprenticed in a Soest goldsmith's workshop after relocating there around 1525, where he joined the painters' gui...