Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Judgement of Paris

It has been AGES! I know I know I'm sorry. I have been super busy working on projects I can't share with you yet unfortunately. As I write this I am on a mini holiday in Philadelphia relaxing on my own after a couple of intense months. When Im back in NYC Im starting a silk screen class. I can't wait! I wanted to do this for a while my flat graphic style is ideal for silk screen and I can finally open my etsy store.
More about that soon, meanwhile, here is a new addition to my long neglected series of Greek Mythology illos. You can see the previous ones here, here and here. I really want to try and silk screen them. I usually quote from the original text but I'm too lazy to scan the entire Iliad for it so here in a nut shell is the story of the judgement of Paris:
So all the gods are invited to a big wedding except Eris the goddess of discord. Offended she shows up anyway and rolls in a golden apple with the inscription "to the fairest of all" Obviously all the goddesses want it but the three finalists are Athena, Hera and Aphrodite (Minerva, Juno and Venus to you Romans). After Zeus (cleverly) refuses to be the judge he sends them to the Trojan mortal Paris who proved himself in the past to be a fair judge. The goddesses, who feel no need to play fair themselves, all try to bribe him. Athena promises him wisdom, Hera promises power and Aphrodite  the love of the most beautiful mortal woman in the world. Paris (of course) chooses Aphrodite and claims his prize. His prize is Helen of Troy and she is already married to another. Yadda yadda yadda the Trojan War starts. Another war starts by vanity. Nothing changes.