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The Judgment of Paris: he is sitting at left with Venus, Juno and Pallas Athena, a winged victory above. In the upper section the Sun in his chariot preceeded by Castor and Pollux on horseback, at lower right two river gods and a naiad above whom Jupiter, an eagle, Ganymede, Diana and another goddess by Marcantonio Raimondi.

Artwork details

Marcantonio Raimondi

The Judgment of Paris: he is sitting at left with Venus, Juno and Pallas Athena, a winged victory above. In the upper section the Sun in his chariot preceeded by Castor and Pollux on horseback, at lower right two river gods and a naiad above whom Jupiter, an eagle, Ganymede, Diana and another goddess

ca. 1510–20 · Object 19.74.1

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Artwork story

About The Judgment of Paris: he is sitting at left with Venus, Juno and Pallas Athena, a winged victory above. In the upper section the Sun in his chariot preceeded by Castor and Pollux on horseback, at lower right two river gods and a naiad above whom Jupiter, an eagle, Ganymede, Diana and another goddess

The artist and artwork

Marcantonio Raimondi engraved The Judgment of Paris around 1510–20 after a design by Raphael. The Met calls it a masterpiece and a high point of their collaboration. Raphael organized the vast mythological invention; Marcantonio cut its lines into copper, building bodies, water, foliage, cloud, and sky through meticulously ordered hatching. Those marks create a remarkable range from bright flesh to dense shadow without color. Rather than merely copying a painting, the engraver transformed Raphael's drawing into a reproducible work whose tonal system influenced generations of printmakers.

The world around it

The print emerged in High Renaissance Rome, where Raphael worked for Pope Julius II and artists were studying ancient sculpture, poetry, and myth. Prints could carry inventions far beyond the palace or room for which a fresco had been made; another Marcantonio engraving after Raphael established the fame of the Vatican Parnassus before its room was publicly accessible. Giorgio Vasari wrote that their ambitious engraved compositions amazed Rome. This one tells the beauty contest that begins the Trojan War: Paris awards Venus the golden apple after she promises him Helen, the most beautiful woman alive. A private decision is surrounded by cosmic consequences.

A detail to notice

The central judgment occupies only one layer of the crowded world. Paris sits at lower left facing Juno, Minerva, and Venus, while a winged Victory flies in with a wreath. Above, the sun god drives his chariot between the Dioscuri; at right Jupiter, an eagle, Diana, Ganymede, and another goddess fill the clouds, and river gods recline below. Centuries later, Édouard Manet lifted the arrangement of the three reclining figures at lower right for the foreground of The Luncheon on the Grass. The borrowing shows how an engraving made to spread Raphael's design became, in turn, raw material for a radically modern painting.

Look closer: materials, scale, and subjects

The recorded object is print made in Engraving and held in the Drawings and Prints department.

Recorded dimensions include Sheet: 11 7/16 x 17 3/16 in. (29.1 x 43.7 cm).

Subject terms include Trojan War, Athena, Juno, Venus, Dogs, and Horses. Treat them as guideposts, not a complete interpretation.

Collection history and public-domain source

The collection credit line is Rogers Fund, 1919.

The individual artwork page and official image were verified as Public Domain on 2026-08-23.

No Context Gallery independently uses the public-domain image. The source museum has not endorsed, sponsored, or affiliated itself with these products.

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  1. The Judgment of Paris: he is sitting at left with Venus, Juno and Pallas Athena, a winged victory above. In the upper section the Sun in his chariot preceeded by Castor and Pollux on horseback, at lower right two river gods and a naiad above whom Jupiter, an eagle, Ganymede, Diana and another goddess on Ceramic mug, 11 oz or 15 oz, front.
    Front
    The Judgment of Paris: he is sitting at left with Venus, Juno and Pallas Athena, a winged victory above. In the upper section the Sun in his chariot preceeded by Castor and Pollux on horseback, at lower right two river gods and a naiad above whom Jupiter, an eagle, Ganymede, Diana and another goddess on Ceramic mug, 11 oz or 15 oz, left.
    Left
    The Judgment of Paris: he is sitting at left with Venus, Juno and Pallas Athena, a winged victory above. In the upper section the Sun in his chariot preceeded by Castor and Pollux on horseback, at lower right two river gods and a naiad above whom Jupiter, an eagle, Ganymede, Diana and another goddess on Ceramic mug, 11 oz or 15 oz, right.
    Right
    The Judgment of Paris: he is sitting at left with Venus, Juno and Pallas Athena, a winged victory above. In the upper section the Sun in his chariot preceeded by Castor and Pollux on horseback, at lower right two river gods and a naiad above whom Jupiter, an eagle, Ganymede, Diana and another goddess on Ceramic mug, 11 oz or 15 oz, back.
    Back
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    Ceramic mug, 11 oz or 15 oz

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  2. The Judgment of Paris: he is sitting at left with Venus, Juno and Pallas Athena, a winged victory above. In the upper section the Sun in his chariot preceeded by Castor and Pollux on horseback, at lower right two river gods and a naiad above whom Jupiter, an eagle, Ganymede, Diana and another goddess on 16 × 12 matte canvas, front.
    Front
    The Judgment of Paris: he is sitting at left with Venus, Juno and Pallas Athena, a winged victory above. In the upper section the Sun in his chariot preceeded by Castor and Pollux on horseback, at lower right two river gods and a naiad above whom Jupiter, an eagle, Ganymede, Diana and another goddess on 16 × 12 matte canvas, side.
    Side
    The Judgment of Paris: he is sitting at left with Venus, Juno and Pallas Athena, a winged victory above. In the upper section the Sun in his chariot preceeded by Castor and Pollux on horseback, at lower right two river gods and a naiad above whom Jupiter, an eagle, Ganymede, Diana and another goddess on 16 × 12 matte canvas, context 1.
    Context 1
    The Judgment of Paris: he is sitting at left with Venus, Juno and Pallas Athena, a winged victory above. In the upper section the Sun in his chariot preceeded by Castor and Pollux on horseback, at lower right two river gods and a naiad above whom Jupiter, an eagle, Ganymede, Diana and another goddess on 16 × 12 matte canvas, context 2.
    Context 2
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    16 × 12 matte canvas

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    Artwork printed on matte canvas with mirrored sides.

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