Paris was the son of Priam, king of Troy. He was choosed by Jupiter to judge a beauty contest between three goddesses; much bribed ensued. Juno promised Paris lands and riches, Minerva offered him victory in battle, Venus promised to reward him with the love of any woman he chose and went on to describe Helen, the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta, in glowing terms. Paris awarded her with the golden apple. He later sailed to Sparta, abducted Helen and carried her back to Troy.
This event lead to the fall of Troy, seen burning in the distance on this plate, a characteristic work by a painter who marked in the years 1524-1526 a group of dishes as made in castel durante.
John Mallet named him the 'in Castel Durante Painter' and wrote of him:
His figures have a ponderous dignity, and one comes to love even his mannerism of painting landscape backgrounds in such a way that hills, castles and woodenly coiled clouds seem to press forward at the spectator instead of receding. Above all he is notable colorist: looking at his work one sometimes feels provileged with a glimpse at the tonality of Renaissance frescoes before the time faded them.