The Judgment of Paris, painted by Konstantin Makovsky after the famous ancient myth, depicts the disagreement between three goddesses – Hera, Athena and Aphrodite – over which of them is the most beautiful.
The large dimensions of the canvas enable the story to be presented in all its detail. On the one hand, the choice of a large format was informed by a tendency in Russian art of the time to favor monumental works (novels, symphonies, operas, etc.). On the other, the popularity in artistic circles of so-called “living pictures” – arranging models in a manner that would resemble famous works of art – also played a part. Konstantin Makovsky was fond of such “pictures,” as they allowed him to convey every detail of a scene containing several figures.
The Judgment of Paris is executed in an effective painterly manner. The artist masterfully conveys textures, light and nuances of tone. Makovsky sent this piece, along with his paintings Demon and Tamara and The Death of Ivan the Terrible to the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris. They earned him a gold medal 1st class and a medal of the Legion of Honor. Interestingly, The Judgment of Paris was purchased by Charles Schumann before the exhibition opened. It spent many years in his Broadway jewelry store in New York, after which it hung in the halls of a private sports club.