Well, that is just silly. The beauty of the Mona Lisa isn't who it portrays, but the skill of breathing life into oils. Of course, it would settle the argument that it's actually a self-portrait. ;)

To say that no Poser render is beautiful is to impose the same taste on everyone. You know, the old "eye of the beholder" thing. And not all photos are created equal, either.

It all comes down to innate talent, and that's more rare than most people think. I'm very lucky to have a friend who has a deadly eye for composition and color, and who constantly amazes me by being humble and insisting on remaining an amateur.  Me, every once in a while there's something I need to say in an image, and can limp along just enough to maybe get the idea across.