The Story of Oenone and Paris

Francesco di Giorgio's Story of Oenone and Paris, painted around 1460 and now in the J. Paul Getty Museum, depicts an episode from the Trojan War cycle in which the nymph Oenone is abandoned by Paris in favor of Helen. Such classical mythological narratives were popular decorations for cassone panels and spalliera (wall) paintings in Sienese households, combining entertainment with moral lessons about love, loyalty, and the consequences of desire.

Francesco di Giorgio's narrative style features graceful, elongated figures set in carefully observed landscape settings, with the lyrical quality and refined color sense characteristic of the Sienese school.