The Judgment of Paris
1645-1646
Claude Lorrain was famous for making landscapes the real star of the show, and here he does it again with the classic myth of Paris choosing the fairest goddess. While the three goddesses—Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite—stand before the shepherd Paris to claim the golden apple, they almost feel like supporting actors in this sweeping, sun-drenched valley. The artist masterfully guides your eye from the shady foreground with its resting animals and waterfall all the way to the glowing, hazy horizon, creating a dreamlike Arcadian world that feels more like a perfect vacation spot than a tense mythological contest.
Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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