Norman E. Land | 2023 | ISBN: 1476683956 | English | 205 pages | PDF | 2 MB

The 4th century BC Greek painter Parrhasius murdered his modelan old man who was his slaveto achieve, so the story goes, a more lifelike depiction of nature. The tale has inspired similar, more elaborate stories about both well known and obscure artistsincluding Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Rubens. Elements of the tale have appeared in theater, literature and film, as well as in comments by painters, historians, critics and anatomists. Challeg the archetype of the artist as a sympathetic lover of nature, this book examines the artist as cruel and murderous in service of art and ambition, and indirectly addresses a different understanding of the relationship between art and life.