right|thumbnail|[[Benedetto Varchi, by Titian]]
Paragone (, meaning comparison), was a debate during the Italian Renaissance in which painting and sculpture (and to a degree, architecture) were each championed as forms of art superior and distinct to each other. While other art forms, such as architecture and poetry, existed in the context of the debate, painting and sculpture were the primary focus of the debate.
A comparable question, generally posed less competitively, was known as ut pictura poesis (a quote from Horace), comparing the qualities of painting and poetry.
The debate
The debate began around the 15th century. Painters and sculptors each vied for their respective side in the debate.
The essence of the debate had many facets. Comparisons of the two mediums ranged from conceptual themes to practices, underscoring the intellectual role of the artist in the era. Sculpture was typically claimed to be the only method of having several different and faithful views of the same figure by those who found it to be the superior medium. The understanding and use of the term was also, however, influenced by the idea of drawing as the foundation of art.