Room 18

In The Judgement of Paris, the figures gather around a choice that will have consequences far beyond the scene. Peter Paul Rubens drew on ancient stories, living models and the Italian art he admired to give such subjects a strong physical presence. Rubens worked in Antwerp and painted for European courts and churches. He also served as a diplomat. The demand for his pictures was large enough to require a busy workshop, where assistants helped carry out his designs. As you compare the mythological scenes, portraits and landscapes here, notice how differently he arranges a body at rest and a body in action.