The Judgement of Paris
Relief
1690-1700 (made)
1690-1700 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Amber is a fossilised resin, and can be found along the Baltic coast. During the 17th and 18th centuries a wide range of amber objects were made in centres in Prussia and Poland, notably the cities of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad), and Danzig (now Gdańsk). This small relief, showing Paris judging Venus to be the most beautiful of three goddesses (Venus, Juno and Minerva), was carved by the amber and ivory sculptor, Christoph Maucher, who was active in Danzig in the second half of the 17th century. It is carved from a comparatively large lump of amber, and demonstrates Maucher's skill in creating rounded figures and a dramatic scene taken from classical mythology. Details such as the small figure of Cupid holding a dog, the chunky proportions of the figures and Minerva's owl looking out at the viewer paradoxically suggest a non-classical style, and even a humorous undercurrent to the story.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Judgement of Paris (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Amber |
| Brief description | Relief, amber, Judgement of Paris, by Christoph Maucher (German), probably made in Danzig (modern Gdańsk), Royal Prussia, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, ca. 1690-1700 |
| Physical description | On the left Paris, half-nude and holding the apple, is seated on a grassy mound under a tree with his arm round Venus, also wearing only slight drapery and a necklace; she half-stands, half-leans against his left leg, about to receive the prize of the apple. On the left are Juno with her peacock and Minerva with her owl, and seated at the front, with a dog, is Cupid. On the back are scratched the erroneous name and date, 'Carrolus Maruti Ext. 1621'. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'Carrolus Maruti Ex.t 1621' (on the back) |
| Object history | Bought at the Humphrey W. Cook Sale (a part of the collection formed by Sir Francis Cook, Bart) (Christie's, London, 10 July 1925, Lot 460). |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Amber is a fossilised resin, and can be found along the Baltic coast. During the 17th and 18th centuries a wide range of amber objects were made in centres in Prussia and Poland, notably the cities of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad), and Danzig (now Gdańsk). This small relief, showing Paris judging Venus to be the most beautiful of three goddesses (Venus, Juno and Minerva), was carved by the amber and ivory sculptor, Christoph Maucher, who was active in Danzig in the second half of the 17th century. It is carved from a comparatively large lump of amber, and demonstrates Maucher's skill in creating rounded figures and a dramatic scene taken from classical mythology. Details such as the small figure of Cupid holding a dog, the chunky proportions of the figures and Minerva's owl looking out at the viewer paradoxically suggest a non-classical style, and even a humorous undercurrent to the story. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.61-1925 |
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| Record created | January 8, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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