De Samosata a Leiden: Luciano y Rembrandt en el espejo de Zeuxis

Abstract

Zeuxis was one of the most famous painters of classical Greece. However, none of his paintings have survived; the only way to appraise their value is to consult some words and texts which describe them and tell us who Zeuxis was, what kinds of works he painted, and how he did so. Using Zeuxis as our link, in this paper we aim to bring together the figures of Lucian and Rembrandt, two great names in their respective fields of literature and painting, and consider their conceptions of themselves as artists. As a reference point we use three anecdotes from the written tradition about the Greek painter and his work which may help us reach our goal. The first deals with the execution of a particular painting, the second with his technique, and the third with his death.