Apelles

Apelles (əpĕl`ēz), fl. 330 B.C., Greek painter, the most celebrated in antiquity but now known only through descriptions of his works. He is thought to have studied under Ephorus of Ephesus and under Pamphilus of Amphipolis at Sicyon. He was court painter to Philip II of Macedon and to Alexander the Great. His portraits of Alexander included one in the Temple of Diana at Ephesus that showed Alexander wielding the thunderbolts of Zeus. Apelles excelled in painting horses, and according to Pliny the portrait of Antigonus Cyclops on horseback was his masterpiece. Most famous, perhaps, was the painting of Aphrodite rising from the sea. A painting made by Botticelli from Alberti's description of Apelles' Calumny is in the Uffizi. Apelles is said to have been the first to recognize the talents of Protogenes. He also influenced Mantegna and Titian.

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Apelles

(flourished late 4th century–early 3rd century BC) Greek painter. He studied under Pamphilus and was court painter to Philip II of Macedonia and his son, Alexander the Great. Notable works included a portrait of Alexander, an allegorical picture of Calumny, and a painting of Aphrodite rising from the sea. A master of composition and chiaroscuro, he was noted for his technical improvements; he used a dark glaze to preserve his paintings and soften their colour. Though no copies of his works survive, in antiquity he was considered the greatest of Greek painters.