Judgment of Paris, after Raphael

This drawing, squared for transfer, depicts the shepherd Paris seated on the left with his dog, handing a golden apple to Aphrodite. She is accompanied by the goddesses Hera and Athena, with a small Cupid standing between them. The right side of the composition features a female figure seen from behind adjusting a large piece of drapery.

In Renaissance Neoplatonism, specifically in the writings of Marsilio Ficino, the Judgment of Paris was transformed from a story of disastrous choice into an allegory for the 'three lives': the contemplative (Athena), the active (Hera), and the pleasurable (Aphrodite). Ficino argued that a truly wise man should seek to harmonize all three rather than choosing just one.