Paris and Oenone

Artist Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem (Dutch, 1562–1638)

Date1616

Mediumoil on canvas

Dimensionsframe: 215.5 × 213.5 × 6.5 cm (84 13/16 × 84 1/16 × 2 9/16 in.)

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineGift of Hester Diamond

Object number2015.53

Label TextWhile Paris is best known for his role in Homer’s ancient epic, The Iliad, this painting depicts an early scene from his life described by the Roman author Ovid. Paris carves his declaration of love for Oenone, the daughter of a river god, into a tree. The knowing looks of the dog and child (perhaps their son Corythus) may foreshadow that Paris will eventually abandon Oenone for Helen, instigating the Trojan War. Cornelis van Haarlem was a pivotal figure in transmitting trends in Italian art to the Netherlands. The three paintings by the artist in this gallery show the arc of his career. The two works on the opposite wall are small, refined, and painted on wood panel. Around 1610, Cornelis moved to large canvases with monumental, sculptural figures, seemingly drawn more directly from life and in more naturalistic settings.ProvenanceSamuel Hartveld, Antwerp and New York, by 1939; Eugene Slatter, London, by 1954; Anonymous sale, Nice, Wetterwald & Ranou-Cassegrain, lot 107, November 26, 2000; Jack Kilgore, New York, 2000; sold to Hester Diamond, New York, 2000; gifted to the Museum, 2015. Permanent collection, Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA, March 2016-

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