The Golden Apple of Discord 

Jacob Jordaens painted ‘The Golden Apple of Discord’ in the 17th century, demonstrating his interpretation of classical mythology. The painting depicts the moment when the goddess Eris, excluded from a divine wedding, throws a golden apple inscribed "to the fairest" among the goddesses, sparking a quarrel that ultimately leads to the Trojan War. Jordaens was working in Antwerp, a commercial and cultural hub in the Spanish Netherlands. His paintings reflect the tastes of a bourgeois and aristocratic clientele, interested in allegorical scenes and moralizing tales. In this painting, we see how the artist uses rich colours, dramatic lighting, and the sensuous rendering of flesh to create a scene of intense human drama and divine conflict. Art historians consider such paintings to be a window into the values and beliefs of 17th-century Europe. By studying the classical sources that inspired Jordaens, as well as the social and political context in which he worked, we can gain a deeper understanding of the public role of art.