Peter Paul Rubens
The Wedding of Peleus and Thetis
Creation
1600 - 1700
Dimensions
31.5 x 41.5 cm
Material / Technique
paper/etching
Rubens prints
prints, photographs
Artist
Peter Paul Rubens (1577 - 1640)
Publisher
Frans van den Wyngaerde (1614 - 1679)
Publisher
Frans van den Wyngaerde (1614 - 1679)
About the object
The wedding of Peleus and Thetis was disrupted by the goddess Eris, who threw a golden apple with the inscription “for the fairest one”. This led to a quarrel between Hera, Athena and Aphrodite, which ultimately triggered the Trojan War. The painting which the etching was based on is likely to have been made by Jacob Jordaens. It displays human weaknesses such as vanity and pride which can lead to severe conflicts.