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Venus Holding an Apple
(Renaissance Europe )
This lovely young woman's fanciful headdress marks her as Venus and not Eve. She was once part of a group of statuettes that recreated the classical myth of the Judgment of Paris. In a contest conceived by the goddess of Discord, the Trojan prince Paris was asked to judge who among Venus (goddess of love), Juno (wife of Jupiter, king of the Olympian gods), and Minerva (celebrated for her wisdom) was the most beautiful; a golden apple was presented to the winner. Venus here holds the apple that memorialized her triumph. Although the subject is from classical antiquity, the rounded proportions of the figure are thoroughly "modern" German.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1993 | A Renaissance Puzzle: Heemskerck's Abduction of Helen. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1971-1972 | World of Wonder. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 1/12/1962 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 10/26/1987 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 10/27/1987 | Treatment | cleaned |
Geographies
Germany (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 8 1/4 in. (21 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
61.19