The Judgment of Paris

Venus Persuades Helen

Nigel Bruce

• 1 min read
Venus Persuades Helen
Kadriorg Art Museum (Kadrioru loss), Tallinn

Persuasion or procuring?

Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

One of the unanswered questions about The Judgment of Paris is why did Helen of Sparta agree, if in fact she did, to be the "prize" awarded to Paris if he chose Aphrodite. Had Helen even met Paris? Did Aphrodite cast a spell on her? Was she miserable in her marriage to Menelaus? Did she take many lovers?

Immediately above is Angelica Kauffmann's painting, Venus Persuades Helen to Fall in Love with Paris (1790). One could be forgiven for thinking that Venus (second from left) acts here as a procuress for Paris. This was a theme Kauffmann visited several times in her career, including the painting shown up top: Beauty Directed by Prudence, Wreathed by Perfection (1780).