The Judgment of Paris
ca. 1804–12
Medium
Graphite; squared in graphite
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 1/2 in. × 9 in. (19.1 × 22.9 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Roberta J.M. Olson and Alexander B.V. Johnson, 2021
Accession Number
2021.375.2
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Baron François Gérard’s *The Judgment of Paris* (ca. 1804–12) captures a pivotal moment from Greek mythology in which the Trojan prince Paris must award a golden apple to the fairest among the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. As a leading French Neoclassical artist and favored portraitist of Napoleon’s court, Gérard frequently turned to classical subjects that celebrated ideals of beauty, heroism, and moral choice. This graphite study reveals his elegant draftsmanship, with fluid contours and subtle modeling that emphasize the graceful forms of the female nudes and the dynamic presence of horses. The drawing’s squared grid indicates it served as a preparatory work, allowing the design to be transferred and enlarged onto canvas. Such techniques highlight the careful planning behind Gérard’s finished paintings and underscore the importance of drawing in Neoclassical practice. The compact sheet (roughly 7½ by 9 inches) offers an intimate glimpse into the artist’s creative process. Today in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection, the work invites viewers to appreciate both the timeless myth and the refined artistry of the Napoleonic era.
About the Artist
baron François Gérard · 1770–1837
**Baron François Gérard (1770–1837)** was a leading French Neoclassical painter renowned for his elegant portraits of European royalty and political figures. Born François Pascal Simon Gérard in Rome to a French father serving in the Papal States and an Italian mother, he returned with his family to Paris around 1782. There he began his artistic training, first studying sculpture under Augustin Pa...