THE ARTIST TRIUMPHANT
TRANSLATOR’S NOTE
TO
THE ARTIST TRIUMPHANT
Parrhasius, the great painter, son of Evenor of Ephesus, lived about four hundred years before Christ. He was a mighty master of his profession, and particularly excelled in strongly expressing the violent passions. He was blessed with wondrous genius and invention, and was particularly happy in his designs. He acquired great reputation by his pieces, but by none more than that in which he allegorically represented the people of Athens with all the injustice, the clemency, the fickleness, timidity, the arrogance and inconsistency which so eminently characterized that amazing nation. He once entered the lists against Zeuxis, and when they had produced their respective pieces, the birds came to pick, with the greatest avidity, the grapes which Zeuxis had painted. Parrhasius immediately exhibited his piece, and Zeuxis said, “Remove your curtain, that we may see the painting.” The curtain was the painting. Zeuxis acknowledged himself conquered by exclaiming, “Zeuxis has deceived birds, but Parrhasius has deceived Zeuxis himself.” Parrhasius grew so vain of his art, that he clothed himself in purple and wore a crown of gold, calling himself the king of painters. He was lavish in his own praises, but by his vanity too often exposed himself to the ridicule of his enemies.
G. F. M.