A-dictionary-of-greek-and-roman-antiquities-william-smith

PICTURA.
PICTURA.
Oil
philus had the reputation of being the most scientific constituted the light of the picture. Pliny (I. e.)
artist of his time ; and such was his authority, tells us that Apelles glazed his pictures in a manner
says Pliny (H.N. xxxv. 36), that chiefly through peculiar to himself, and in which no one could
his influence, first in Sicyon, then throughout all imitate him. When his works were finished he
Greece, noble youthB were taught the art of draw covered them with a dark transparent varnish
ing before all others: the first exercise was pro (most probably containing asphaltum), which had
bably to draw a simple line. (Tpafifd,^v iAxweu, a remarkable effect in harmonizing and toning the
Pollux, vii. 128 ; see further, respecting the school colours, and in giving brilliancy to the shadows.
of Paraphilus, Diet, of Biog. s. v.)
Sir J. Reynolds discovered in this account of Pliny
Nicomachus of Thebes was, according to Pliny " an artist-like description of the effect of glazing
(I. c.)« the most rapid painter of his time ; but or scumbling, such as was practised by Titian and
he was as conspicuous for the force and power the rest of the Venetian painters." (Notes to
of his pencil as for its rapidity ; Plutarch (TimoL Fresn. 37.) There is a valuable though incidental
36) compares his paintings with the verses of remark in Cicero (de Nat. Deor. i. 27), relating to
Homer. Nicomachus had many scholars, of whom the colouring of Apelles, where he says, that the
Philoxenus of Eretria was celebrated as a painter tints of the Venus Anadyomene were not blood,
of battles ; a battle of Alexander and Dareius by but a resemblance of blood. The females, and the
h i m is mentioned by Pliny ( H. N. xxxv. 36) as one pictures generally, of Apelles, were most probably
of the most celebrated paintings of antiquity ; but Bimple and unadorned ; their absolute merits, and
they were all surpassed by his own brother Aristeides,
who appears to have been the greatest master See further Diet, of Biog. s. v.
not their effect, constituting their chief attraction.
of expression among the Greeks. We must, how Protogenes of Caunus, a contemporary of Apel
ever, apply some modification to the expression les, was both statuary and painter ; he was re
of Pliny (L a), that Aristeides first painted the markable for the high finish of his works, for a
mind and expressed the feelings and passions of detailed account of which, as well as of his life and
man, since ^17, as it is explained by Pliny in this his relations with Apelles, see Diet, of Biog. art
passage, cannot be denied to Polygnotus, Apollodoms,
Parrhasiun, Timanthes, and many others. Euphranor, the Isthmian, was celebrated equally
Protogenes.
(Sec further Diet, of Biog. art. Aristeides.) as painter and statuary ; he was, says Pliny (//. N.
Pausias of Sicyon painted in encaustic, with the xxxv. 40), in all things excellent, and at all times
cestrum, and seems to have surpassed all others in equal to himself. He was distinguished for a pecu
this method of painting ; he was the pupil of Para
philus, and the contemporary of Apelles. Pausias
was conspicuous for a bold and powerful effect of
light and shade, which he enhanced by contrasts
and strong foreshortcnings. (Diet, of Biog. s.v.)
Apelles was a native of Ephesus or of Colo
phon (Suidas, s. r.), according to the general
testimony of Greek writers, although Pliny (I.e.)
terms him of Cos. Pliny asserts that he sur
passed all who either preceded or succeeded him ;
the quality, however, in which he surpassed all
other painters will scarcely bear a definition ; it
has been termed grace, elegance, beauty, X^"*
renustus. Fuseli (Lee. 1) defines the Btyle of it.
Apelles thus : — M His great prerogative consisted
more in the unison than the extent of his powers ;
he knew better what he could do, what ought to
be done, at what point he could arrive, and what
lay beyond his reach, than any other artist Grace
of conception and refinement of taste were his ele
ments, and went hand in hand with grace of exe
cution and taste in finish ; powerful and seldom,
possessed singly, irresistible when united."
The most celebrated work of Apelles was per
haps his Venus Anadyomene, Venus rising out of
the waters. (Diet, ofBiog* art. Apelles.)
He excelled in portrait, and indeed all his
works appear to have been portraits in an ex
tended sense ; for his pictures, both historical and
allegorical, consisted nearly all of single figures.
He enjoyed the exclusive privilege of painting the
portraits of Alexander. (Hor. Ep. ii. 1. 239.) One
of these, which represented Alexander wielding
the thund rbolts of Jupiter, termed the Alexander
Kfpawotpo'pos appears to have been a masterpiece
of effect •, the hand and lightning, says Pliny,
seemed to start from the picture, and Plutarch
(Alex. 4) informs us that the complexion was
browner than Alexander's, thus making a finer
contrast with the fire in his hand, which apparently
liarity of style of design ; he was fond of a muscular
limb, and adopted a more decided anatomical dis
play generally, but he kept the body light, in pro
portion to the head and limbs. Pliny says that
Euphranor first represented heroes with dignity.
Parrhasius was said to have established the canon
of art for heroes ; but the heroes of Parrhasius
were apparently more divine, those of Euphranor
more human. We have examples of both these
styles, in the kindred art of sculpture, in the Apollo
and the Laocobn, and in thp Meleager and the
Gladiator, or the Antinous and the Discobolus.
It was to this distinction of style which Euphranor
apparently allud