Joachim Anthonisz Wtewael

At this exuberant outdoor celebration, a trumpeting messenger announces the marriage of the mortal Peleus and the Greek goddess Thetis. Hermes, at center, serves the conversing bride and groom while Apollo, at right, serenades them with his lyre. Winged babies flutter above wedding guests, servants, satyrs, and river gods who eat, drink, and amorously embrace. In the sky above, Eris, the goddess of discord, prepares to toss the golden apple that will incite the Trojan War. Viewers educated in Greek myth would have perceived Eris’s presence as a warning against earthly excess and immorality. Painted during a moment of peace and prosperity in Dutch history, this work may also have cautioned against the dangers of political conflict.