"The Curtain is the Picture"

About the year 455 B.C., an improved style of painting was introduced in Athens by a celebrated painter named Zeuxis. The aim of this new style was illusion of the senses. Zeuxis soon acquired great wealth by his painting, and was very ostentatious in the display of it. The same vanity is shown by the fact, that, after he had reached the summit of his fame, he no longer sold, but gave away, his pictures, as being above all price.

He was a great master of color: and in this lay the secret of his success, and of that of his school; for it rendered his paintings so accurate and lifelike, that they amounted to illusion. This is exemplified in the story told of him and Parrhasius. As a trial, these artists were appointed to paint each a picture. That of Zeuxis represented a bunch of grapes; and so naturally was it represented, that the birds came and pecked at it.

After this proof, Zeuxis, confident of success, called upon his rival to draw aside the curtain that concealed his picture. "The curtain is the picture," replied Parrhasius; and Zeuxis was obliged to acknowledge himself vanquished, for though he had deceived birds, Parrhasius had deceived him.

The paintings of Zeuxis 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 masterpiece was a picture of Helen of Troy, in painting which he had as his models five of the most beautiful maidens of Crotona, for which city the picture was painted. Zeuxis died in the early part of the third century B.C.: it is said that he died from laughter at a hag he had just painted.

Parrhasius, his contemporary, also attained great celebrity. He was particularly celebrated for the accuracy of his drawing and the excellent proportions of his figures.

Just as Phidias established a canon in sculpture for gods, and Polycletus for the human figure, so Zeuxis established a canon for proportions in drawing and painting; whence Quintilian calls him the legislator of his art.