Parrhasius

Parrhasius (pərā`shēəs), fl. c.400 B.C., Greek painter. He was born in Ephesus but settled in Athens and is classed with the Attic painters. One of the greatest painters of Greece, a contemporary and rival of Zeuxis, he is credited by ancient writers with having been the first painter to attain perfect symmetry and correct proportions in his figures. Among the most celebrated of his numerous works were an allegorical painting, Demos, personifying the Athenian democracy, and Theseus. All his works have perished and are known only through descriptions by classical writers.

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Parrhasius

 or Parrhasios

(flourished 5th century BC, Athens, Greece) Greek painter. He was praised by ancient critics as a master of outline drawing. He apparently succeeded in portraying various psychological states in his depictions of the face. Many of his drawings on wood and parchment were preserved and highly valued by later painters for purposes of study. His picture of Theseus adorned the Capitol in Rome; other works were chiefly mythological groups. No works or copies survive.