The Beauty Queen stands magnificent and proud within every woman's soul, commanding attention, demanding respect, eliciting admiration. She is that part in us that knows we are beautiful, regardless how society may judge our looks, or others fail to take us in with their gaze. In this painting, three narcissistic Beauties vie for the prize of a golden apple awarded by a conceited prince. Goddesses Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena each attends, dressed in finery characteristic of her nature. Each is accompanied by her representative bird. The owl still stands for Athena's artifice, the peacock for Hera's pride, and the doves for Aphrodite's sexual allure. Paris chose sex over political or martial fame. But, beauty, like sexual attraction, is ever dangerous, ever capricious, and rarely lasting as first judged.