Apelles,[94] of Cos, surpassed all the other painters who either
preceded or succeeded him. Single-handed, he contributed more to
painting than all the others together, and even went so far as to
publish some treatises on the principles of the art. The great point
of artistic merit with him was his singular charm of gracefulness, and
this too, tho the greatest of painters were his contemporaries. In
admiring their works and bestowing high eulogiums upon them, he used
to say that there was still wanting in them that equal of beauty so
peculiar to himself, and known to the Greeks as "Charis"; others, he
said, had acquired all the other requisites of perfection, but in
this one point he himself had no equal. He also asserted his claim to
another great point of merit; admiring a picture by Protogenes, which
bore evident marks of unbounded laboriousness and the most minute
finish, he remarked that in every respect Protogenes was fully his
equal, or perhaps his superior, except in this, that he himself knew
when to take his hand off a picture--a memorable lesson, which teaches
us that over-carefulness may be productive of bad results. His candor,
too, was equal to his talent; he acknowledged the superiority of
Melanthius[95] in his grouping, and of Asclepiodorus in the niceness
of his measurements, or in other words, the distances that ought to be
left between the objects represented.
A circumstance that happened to him in connection with Protogenes[96]
is worthy of notice. The latter was living at Rhodes, when Apelles
disembarked there, desirous of seeing the works of a man whom he had
hitherto only known by reputation. Accordingly, he repaired at once to
the studio; Protogenes was not at home, but there happened to be a
large panel upon the easel ready for painting, with an old woman who
was left in charge. To his inquiries she made answer that Protogenes
was not at home; and then asked whom she should name as the visitor.
"Here he is," was the reply of Apelles; and seizing a brush, he traced
with color upon the panel an outline of a singularly minute fineness.
Upon his return the old woman mentioned to Protogenes what had
happened. The artist, it is said, upon remarking the delicacy of the
touch, instantly exclaimed that Apelles must have been the visitor,
for that no other person was capable of executing anything so
exquisitely perfect. So saying, he traced within the same outline a
still finer outline, but with another color; and then took his
departure, with instructions to the woman to show it to the stranger
if he returned, and to let him know that this was the person whom he
had come to see.
It happened as he anticipated--Apelles returned; and vexed at finding
himself thus surpassed, he took up another color and split both of the
outlines, leaving no possibility of anything finer being executed.
Upon seeing this, Protogenes admitted that he was defeated, and at
once flew to the harbor to look for his guest. He thought proper, too,
to transmit the panel to posterity, just as it was; and it always
continued to be held in the highest admiration by all--artists in
particular. I am told that it was burned in the first fire which took
place at Caesar's palace on the Palatine Hill; but in former times I
have often stopt to admire it. Upon its vast surface it contained
nothing whatever except the three outlines, so remarkably fine as to
escape the sight: among the most elaborate works of numerous other
artists it had all the appearance of a blank space; and yet by that
very fact it attracted the notice of every one, and was held in higher
estimation than any other painting there.
It was a custom with Apelles, to which he most tenaciously adhered,
never to let any day pass, however busy he might be, without
exercising himself by tracing some outline or other; a practise which
has now passed into a proverb. It was also a practise with him, when
he had completed a work, to exhibit it to the view of the passers-by
in some exposed place; while he himself, concealed behind the picture,
would listen to the criticisms that were passed upon it: it being his
opinion that the judgment of the public was preferable to his own, as
being the more discerning of the two. It was under these
circumstances, they say, that he was censured by a shoemaker for
having represented the shoes with one shoe-string too little. The next
day, the shoemaker, quite proud at seeing the former error corrected,
thanks to his advice, began to criticize the leg; upon which Apelles,
full of indignation, popped his head out, and reminded him that a
shoemaker should give no opinion beyond the shoes--a piece of advice
which has equally passed into a proverbial saying. In fact, Apelles
was a person of great amenity of manners--a circumstance which
rendered him particularly agreeable to Alexander the Great, who would
often come to his studio. He had forbidden himself by public edict, as
already stated, to be represented by any other artist. On one
occasion, however, when the prince was in his studio, talking a great
deal about painting without knowing anything about it, Apelles quietly
begged that he would quit the subject, telling him that he would get
laughed at by the boys who were there grinding the colors; so great
was the influence which he rightfully possest over a monarch who was
otherwise of an irascible temperament. And yet, irascible as he was,
Alexander conferred upon him a very signal mark of the high estimation
in which he held him: for having, in his admiration of her
extraordinary beauty, engaged Apelles to paint Pancaste undraped--the
most beloved of all his concubines--the artist while so engaged fell
in love with her; upon which, Alexander, perceiving this to be the
ease, made him a present of her: thus showing himself, tho a great
king in courage, a still greater one in self-command--this action
redounding no less to his honor than any of his victories.
Superior to all the statues not only of Praxiteles,[97] but of any
other artist that ever existed, is his Cnidian Venus; for the
inspection of which, many persons before now have purposely undertaken
a voyage to Cnidos. The artist made two statues of the goddess, and
offered them both for sale: one of them was represented with drapery,
and for this reason was preferred by the people of Cos, who had the
choice; the second was offered them at the same price, but on the
grounds of propriety and modesty they thought fit to choose the other.
Upon this, the Cnidians purchased the rejected statue, and immensely
superior has it always been held in general estimation. At a later
period, King Nicomedes wished to purchase this statue of the Cnidians,
and made them an offer to pay off the whole of their public debt,
which was very large. They preferred, however, to submit to any
extremity rather than part with it; and with good reason, for by this
statue Praxiteles has perpetuated the glory of Cnidos. The little
temple in which it is placed is open on all sides, so that the
beauties of the statue admit of being seen from every point of
view--an arrangement which was favored by the goddess herself, it is
generally believed.
Among all nations which the fame of the Olympian Jupiter has reached,
Phidias[98] is looked upon, beyond all doubt, as the most famous of
artists; but to let those who have never seen his works know how
deservedly he is esteemed, we will take this opportunity of adducing a
few slight proofs of the genius which he displayed. In doing this we
shall not appeal to the beauty of his Olympian Jupiter, nor yet to the
vast proportions of his Athenian Minerva, six-and-twenty cubits in
height, and composed of ivory and gold: but it is to the shield of
this last statue that we shall draw attention; upon the convex face of
which he has chased a combat of the Amazons, while upon the concave
side of it he has represented the battle between the gods and the
giants. Upon the sandals, again, we see the wars of the Lapithae and
Centaurs; so careful has he been to fill every smallest portion of his
work with some proof or other of his artistic skill.