Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem - The wedding of Peleus and Thetis

• Title: The wedding of Peleus and Thetis
• Artist: Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (1562-1638)
• Date: c.1592-93
• Medium: Oil on canvas
• Dimensions: 246 x 419 cm

Cornelis van Haarlem intended his painting "The Wedding of Peleus and Thetis" to serve as an allegory highlighting the perils of discord and the potential for even minor disagreements to escalate into devastating conflicts.

The painting alludes to the origins of the Trojan War. According to myth, all the gods were invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, except for Eris, the goddess of discord. Seeking revenge, Eris presented a golden apple to Paris, inscribed with the words 'for the fairest' (depicted in the background at the center of the painting). Paris, a shepherd, was tasked with choosing among three goddesses- Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite (depicted in the top right scene of the background). Each goddess offered him a different reward—wealth, wisdom, or the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta. Paris's choice of Aphrodite indirectly triggered the Trojan War.

The historical backdrop to the painting is the defeat suffered by Haarlem in the bloody siege of 1573 during the Dutch Revolt against Spain. The Haarlem government commissioned this artwork to adorn a guesthouse for the Orange family and other dignitaries.