Judgment of Paris 1610 - 1642

Curator: Today we're looking at "The Judgment of Paris," a work made sometime between 1610 and 1642 by Pierre Brebiette. Editor: My goodness, it's like stepping into a dream—a densely populated, slightly tipsy dream. All those nudes...and a peacock riding on a cloud? Curator: Yes, Brebiette rendered it with pen and ink. You have the engraving capturing this famous mythological scene, and one gets the sense that it really emphasizes the weight of beauty and the chaos of choice, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Well, absolutely! The labor is implicit with all those lines to create the illusion of the nudes, the figures, and that whole theatrical setup. You almost feel like you could touch the very paper on which the drama unfolds. It is a stage. I am trying to wrap my mind around all those impressions from metal plates and labor. Curator: Think about the role of prints at that time—reproducing and disseminating knowledge. An image like this, readily available, sparks conversations and shapes ideas about beauty, mythology. It has been replicated from pen drawing into print format! Editor: True, you are touching on the material implications... and even, perhaps, some material excesses of Brebiette. There's a peacock on a chariot pulled by cherubs floating through a rainbow sky! What's your personal read? Curator: Ah, that bird on the chariot— a touch of whimsy amidst the turmoil of choice. You see, even with Paris supposedly picking the fairest, Brebiette avoids rendering a triumphant moment, right? All the figures look deeply flawed! The shepherd has collapsed completely drunk at the lower left of the picture! The "fairest" looks as haggard as anyone in sight. And it is such a very French interpretation. Editor: I like how that flawed sensibility mirrors the medium, actually—the messy labor of engraving perfectly captures the chaotic tension inherent to that pivotal moment. Curator: So true! "Judgment of Paris", as shown through printing, encourages a sort of democratized gaze on these otherwise idealized figures. Editor: A nice democratization, to be sure!