Mercury Gives Paris the Apple of Discord 1817

Francesco Hayez made this fresco, Mercury Gives Paris the Apple of Discord, during the early 19th century. It illustrates a key scene from Greek mythology and the events leading up to the Trojan War. Hayez, working in Italy, a nation in search of its own identity and history, looked to classical antiquity. The composition, with Mercury presenting Paris with the Apple, refers to the classical tradition, but also to the prevailing artistic conventions of the time. The figures float in a timeless space. The apple itself symbolizes the discord that will be unleashed by Paris’s fateful decision. By revisiting and reinterpreting classical narratives, Hayez engaged with Italy’s cultural heritage. It is an attempt to bring the past into the present and ask pertinent questions about the purpose of art. How can art act as a mirror, reflecting contemporary values? How can it influence the construction of national identity? These are questions that art historians continue to ask today, using archives and other historical resources to contextualize works such as this one.