Zeuxis (/ˈzjuːksɪs/; Greek: Ζεῦξις)[2] (of Heraclea) was a late 5th-century- early 4th-century BCE Greek artist famed for his ability to create images that appeared highly realistic.[3][4] None of his works survive, but anecdotes about Zeuxis' art and life have been referenced often in the history and literature of art and in art theory.[5]
Much of the information about Zeuxis comes from Pliny the Elder's Natural History, but his work is also discussed by Xenophon[6] and Aristotle.[7] One of the most famous stories about Zeuxis centers on an artistic competition with the artist Parrhasius to prove which artist could create a greater illusion of nature.[8] Zeuxis, Timanthes and Parrhasius were painters who belonged to the Ionian School of painting. The Ionian School flourished during the 4th-century BCE.[9][10][11]
^Gilman, Daniel Coit; Peck, Harry Thurston; Colby, Frank Moore, eds. (1906). "Ionian". The New International Encyclopaedia. Vol. 10. New York, NY: Dood, Mead and Company. p. 734. Retrieved September 10, 2023.