WLUSP STAFF SPRING BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

Spring is coming, so we want to give our readers some great book recommendations for the new season.
This can be in the sense of spring as rebirth. But also relevant to whatever spring means to you—it could be flowers, beauty, cleaning, etc. This month our team answers: what does spring mean to you and what could someone read to understand it?

Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson

Kurtis Rideout

Publisher, TCE

Johnson’s short story cycle is a fever dream ruminating on the underbelly of rural America. Worth the praise.

The Judgement of Paris, Ross King

Jessi Wood

Creative Director, TCE

Follow 10 years of Parisian art, war and life through the eyes of two French painters, bohemian impressionist Édouard
Manet and Napoleonic Classicist Ernest Meissonier. Who knew painting involved so many zebra steaks and duels to the death?

Kitchen, Banana Yoshimoto

Tusharika Tyagi

EIC, Blueprint

Shows a way of real life and love through an appreciation of kitchens.

The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion

Ayden Elworthy

Advertising Manager, WLUSP

A must read for anyone on a grief journey. Heartbreaking, plain, painstakingly honest. The Year Of Magical Thinking chronicles Joan Didion’s sudden loss of her husband, and the aftermath of a life lost. A book I will be returning to for the rest of my life.

The Joy of Solitude, Robert J. Coplan

Piper Force

EIC, The Sputnik

Solitude is often seen as something sad and a bad thing to enjoy. Coplan does a great job of using scientific studies to explain why solitude can actually be beneficial.

The Deluge, Stephen Markley

Thando Bhebe

President, WLUSP

The Deluge is timely—its main focus is on the climate crisis—and through its pages we witness humanity react to this crisis either in a daring attempt to prevent it, or cynically ignore it. Every chapter feels ripped straight from a real headline, and the author wrote this book with care and deep research. It’s 10 years in the making and I believe its worth everyone’s time to read it!

The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman

Adrian Quijano

Editorial Assistant, TCE

This is one book I’ve read so far this year that has stuck in my head. The book follows four unlikely friends who meetup once a week in their retirement community to investigate unsolved killings. It’s quirky, funny and charming with just a hint of murder.

A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin

Nate Dawes

Station Manager, Radio Laurier

I also want to read it, and so help me god this recommendation had better summon hell behind me and get me to finish it.

Yvain, The Knight of the Lion, Chrétien De Troyes

Vlad Latis

Creative Director, The Cord

Yvain, the Knight of the Lion, presents a relatively short but compelling story of a knight’s fallen romance being rekindled by chivalrous acts and the help of a lion whose
adoration he gains. It’s a perfect short read that matches the hope and revitalization of the spring season.

The Lonely City, Olivia Liang

Sheryl Madakkai

EIC, The Cord

The Lonely City by Olivia Laing is a contemplative and deeply personal exploration of loneliness through art. Blending memoir, cultural criticism and biography, Laing reflects on her time living alone in New York while examining artists who grappled with isolation, including Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol and David Wojnarowicz. She considers how urban life can intensify solitude, yet also create unexpected forms of connection. The prose is intimate and compassionate, offering insight without sentimentality. Rather than portraying loneliness as purely tragic, Laing presents it as a shared human condition that art can illuminate. Thoughtful and evocative, the book resonates with anyone who has felt alone in a crowd. 

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Art and mythology converge in the timeless tale of Paris and the Golden Apple. The mythological narrative, filled with divine intrigue and mortal choices, has inspired countless artistic interpretations across various mediums, resonating through the ages as a testament to the enduring allure of classical mythology. The tale of Paris and the golden apple remains a central theme in classical mythology, serving as the catalyst for one of the most renowned conflicts in ancient literature.

The Myth and the Painter, Peter Paul Rubens

Peter Paul Rubens’s interpretation of Paris and the Golden Apple is famously depicted in the painting, “The Judgement of Paris,” completed around 1638. This iconic artwork portrays the mythological tale of Paris, a Trojan prince, tasked with judging the beauty of three goddesses: Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Rubens’s masterpiece showcases his mastery of colour, composition, and emotion, capturing the pivotal moment of Paris awarding the golden apple to Aphrodite. The painting is renowned for its portrayal of classical mythology and its enduring influence on later artists, making it a significant contribution to the artistic interpretations of this timeless myth.

The Judgement of Paris: Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The National Gallery Restores “The Judgement of Paris” by Peter Paul Rubens

The National Gallery has recently completed the restoration of Peter Paul Rubens’s renowned masterpiece, “The Judgement of Paris.”

Rubens’s extraordinary portrayal of classical mythology has been meticulously revitalized, allowing visitors to experience the full brilliance of his mastery in colour, composition, and emotion. The restoration has breathed new life into this timeless depiction of divine intrigue and mortal choices, reaffirming its status as a significant contribution to the artistic interpretations of classical mythology.

I invite you to experience the restoration process via The National Gallery’s video, Uncovering Restoration Secrets of Ruben’s “The Judgement of Paris”.

The Judgement of Paris and the Apple of Discord

The myth of the golden apple, often referred to as the “Apple of Discord,” is a well-known story from ancient Greek mythology. In retaliation for not being invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis (parents of Achilles), Eris, the goddess of discord, tossed a golden apple inscribed with the words “To the fairest one” into the midst of the wedding festivities. This seemingly innocuous act sparked a heated dispute among the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite.

Zeus, unwilling to arbitrate the dispute, tasked Paris, a Trojan prince, with the responsibility of judging the beauty of the three goddesses, knowing that his decision would lead to unforeseen consequences. In return for different promises and bribes, the goddesses attempted to influence Paris’ decision.

Paris, swayed by Aphrodite’s promise of the love of the most beautiful mortal woman, Helen of Sparta, awarded her the golden apple. This fateful choice set off a chain of events that led to the abduction of Helen by Paris, triggering the legendary Trojan War as the Greeks sought her return.

The Aftermath of Paris’s Judgement

The aftermath of the Judgement of Paris reverberates throughout ancient mythology, shaping the course of history and the fates of mortals and gods alike. Following Paris’ decision to award the golden apple to Aphrodite, the consequences unfolded dramatically.

Aphrodite, compelled to fulfill her promise to Paris, orchestrated the abduction of Helen, the renowned daughter of Zeus and Leda. This act served as the catalyst for the legendary Trojan War, as the Greek forces, led by King Menelaus, launched a monumental military campaign to retrieve Helen from Paris’s grasp. The scale of the conflict was so vast that it famously involved a fleet of a thousand ships, forever immortalizing the tale through the words of epic poets and storytellers.

Paris’s judgment perpetuated the enduring enmity of both Hera and Athena, who staunchly opposed his decision and sided with the Greeks during the Trojan War. Their involvement in the conflict would significantly impact its progression and outcome, as the besieging Achaean force at Troy received divine intervention and support.

While it is tempting to speculate whether a different judgment by Paris could have altered the course of history, the ancient narrative hints at a predestined path. The intricate interplay between mortal decisions and divine designs underscores the timeless significance of the Judgement of Paris, resonating across myth, literature and art as a pivotal moment that set the stage for monumental events in ancient Greek mythology.

https://chasingart.com/2024/07/12/mythology-in-art-the-judgement-of-paris-by-peter-paul-rubens/

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