Judgment of Paris

About the Artwork

Fonduli's relief depicts the ancient tale of the judgment of Paris, a mythological beauty contest for three Greek goddesses judged by the Trojan prince Paris. He holds an apple in his hand while Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena stand before him. Aphrodite extends a hand, signifying her attainment of the apple, and Athena holds the flaming head of a beast in the air, suggesting the imminent conflict of the Trojan War. In some versions of the story, only Aphrodite appears naked before Paris, but in Fonduli's work, Hera and Athena are completely nude, while Aphrodite ineffectually holds light drapery to shield her lower body. Fonduli blurs the identity of the three goddesses, showing that there is little difference in their respective beauty.

Inscriptions

inscribed at the bottom: IO F.F

Exhibition history

Year in Review for 1984. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 3-May 5, 1985). Collecting Drawings in England. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 3, 1987-January 17, 1988).

Quick Overview

Artist: Giovanni Paolo Fonduli (Italian)
Date: c. 1505
Medium: bronze
Dimensions: Diameter: 5.4 cm (2 1/8 in.)
Type: Sculpture
Classification: Sculpture
Department: European Painting and Sculpture
Credit line: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession no.: 1984.54

Provenance

Cyril Humphris, Ltd. (London, England), sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1984.

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.