The scene portrays Paris in the act of handing over the golden apple, symbol of victory, to Aphrodite, enchanted by her promise to grant him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta. The features The goddesses' badges are clearly visible: Hera is accompanied by a peacock, Athena wears a helmet, and Aphrodite has two doves at her feet.

The work first appears in a 1633 inventory of the Borghese collection, where it is attributed to Francesco Crescenzi, a Roman aristocrat and pupil of Cristoforo Roncalli. Prior to this attribution, the painting had been associated with a variety of artists, including Domenichino, Cavalier d'Arpino, and Bartholomaeus Spranger.