gna
Graecia, as he painted his celebrated picture of Helen for the City of
Croton. He acquired great wealth by his pencil, and was very
ostentatious in displaying it. He appeared at Olympia in a magnificent
robe, having his name embroidered in letters of gold, and the same
vanity is also displayed in the anecdote that, after he had reached
the summit of his fame, he no longer sold, but gave away, his
pictures, as being above all price. With regard to his style of art,
single figures were his favorite subjects. He could depict gods or
heroes with sufficient majesty, but he particularly excelled in
painting the softer graces of female beauty. In one important respect
he appears to have degenerated from the style of Polygnotus, his
idealism being rather that of _form_ than of _character_ and
_expression_. Thus his style is analogous to that of Euripides in
tragedy. He was a great master of color, and his paintings were
sometimes so accurate and life-like as to amount to illusion. This is
exemplified in the story told of him and Parrhasius. As a trial of
skill, these artists painted two pictures. That of Zeuxis represented
a bunch of grapes, and was so naturally executed that the birds came
and pecked at it. After this proof, Zeuxis, confident of success,
called upon his rival to draw aside the curtain which concealed his
picture. But the painting of Parrhasius was the curtain itself, and
Zeuxis was now obliged to acknowledge himself vanquished, for, though
he had deceived birds, Parrhasius had deceived the author of the
deception. But many of the pictures of Zeuxis also displayed great
dramatic power. He worked very slowly and carefully, and he is said to
have replied to somebody who blamed him for his slowness, "It is true
I take a long time to paint, but then I paint works to last a long
time." His master-piece was the picture of Helen, already mentioned.

Parrhasius was a native of Ephesus, but his art was chiefly exercised
at Athens, where he was presented with the right of citizenship. His
date can not be accurately ascertained, but he was probably rather
younger than his contemporary, Zeuxis, and it is certain that he
enjoyed a high reputation before the death of Socrates. The style and
degree of excellence attained by Parrhasius appear to have been much
the same as those of Zeuxis. He was particularly celebrated for the
accuracy of his drawing, and the excellent proportions of his figures.
For these he established