"Mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy"

Sun Tzu (general and philosopher)

Ancient Greeks Zeuxis and Parrhasius were hailed by their contemporaries as the greatest painters in the land. But the two soon realized that the Greek islands weren't big enough for the both of them. To settle the question of who was best, they decided to duel it out.

According to a famous ancient account, Zeuxius and Parrhasius went head-to-head in a paint-off. The terms of the competition were simple. Each would paint a scene, and whoever’s work was the most true-to-life would be declared the winner.

Matthäus Merian, "Contest between Zeuxis and Parrhasius", 1630, engraving from Joh. Lud. Gottfried, Historische Chronica, Berlin.
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Both artists prepared their pieces. Zeuxis was the first to show his work. He'd painted a simple bowl of grapes, which left observers totally underwhelmed—until a bird flew up and began pecking at the 'fruit'!

The ancient Greeks valued realism above all else in their art. And how could anyone possibly do better than Zeuxis on that score? Surely the question had been settled.

Juan Fernández el Labrador, "Still Life with Four Bunches of Grapes", circa 1636, oil on canvas, 17.7 inches x 24 inches, Museo del Prado, Madrid.
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Yet Parrhasius was oddly calm. He led the crowd to his studio and pointed to a curtain hanging against a stone wall. "My work is over there," he said nonchalantly.

Zeuxis looked scornfully at the curtain. "Lift it and show us your work!" he cried, certain of victory. Parrhasius didn’t move. Zeuxis went to draw the curtain himself but was met with an unpleasant surprise: it was part of the painting, and the first trompe-l’œil in recorded art history.

The crowd was in awe. Zeuxis, ever the good sport, conceded defeat. "I've tricked birds," he said, "but Parrhasius tricked me."

Johannes Vermeer, "The Art of Painting", c. 1666 – 1668, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
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François-André Vincent, "Zeuxius Choosing Models from the Beautiful Women of Croton", 1789, oil on canvas, 10.6 feet x 13.6 feet, Musée du Louvre, Paris.
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WRITTEN BY

Jerome Anselme

APPROVED BY

Gérard Marié

Professor of Art History

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