1. Pliny the Elder, The Natural History 77-79 AD

Pliny the Elder’s Natural History is an early example of an encyclopaedia that has come down to us from Imperial Roman times. The encyclopaedia was published around 77 to 79 A.D. In early-modern Europe, it was the most significant source for a vast range of information, otherwise lost from classical antiquity. 

The chapters on art history, books 33-37 were not only read by artists and their patrons but set stylistic, narrative and anecdotal precedence from the classical past, for later biographical authors of art history. 

Pliny’s biographical accounts of artists lives, found in Book 35 contain many anecdotal and sometimes amusing accounts of competition between artists with great feats of illusionistic trickery.  

Such an amalgamation of fact and legend is illustrated in a competition between two famous painters from antiquity, Parrhasios and Zeuxis:

 ‘The story runs that Parrhasios and Zeuxis entered into competition, Zeuxis exhibiting a picture of some grapes, so true to nature that the birds flew up to the wall of the stage. Parrhasios then displayed a picture of a linen curtain, realistic to such a degree that Zeuxis, elated by the verdict of the birds, cried out that now at last his rival must draw the curtain and show the picture. On discovering his mistake he surrendered the prize to Parrhasios, admitting candidly that he had deceived the birds, while Parrhasius had deluded himself, a painter.’ “Painting”in The Natural History verse 65-66. 

Pliny also spoke of famous artists in antiquity, holding friendships with kings and rulers - such as the renowned artist Apelles relationship with Alexander the Great.To recount:

 ‘...Alexander the Great, who was a frequent visitor to the studio [of Apelles]... had issued an edict forbidding anyone else to paint his portrait. But when the king happened to discourse at length about the things he knew nothing about, Apelles would pleasantly advice him to be silent, hinting that the assistants who ground colours were laughing at him; such power did his personality give him over a king habitually so passionate.’  “Painting”in The Natural History verse 80-87.

Later artistic biographers, from Vasari onwards, would also seek to propagate the interrelationship between artists and their wealthy patrons; taking The Natural History as precedence for conceiving artists as socially above that of the humble medieval craftsmen/tradesmen.      

 

Guiseppe Cades, Alexander the Great in the Workshop of Apelles