Apel´les

A celebrated painter of Cos, or, as others say, of Ephesus, son of Pithius. He lived in the age of Alexander the Great, who forbade any one but Apelles to paint his portrait. He was so absorbed in his profe ion that he never allowed a day to pa without employing himself at his art: hence the proverb of Nulla dies sine line a . His most perfect picture was Venus Anadyomene, which was not quite finished when he died. He painted a picture in which a horse was a prominent feature, and so correctly was it delineated that a horse pa ing by it neighed, supposing it to be alive. He was ordered by Alexander to paint a portrait of one of his favorites—Campaspe. Apelles became enamored with her and married her. He only put his name to three of his pictures—a sleeping Venus, Venus Anadyomene, and an Alexander. The proverb, Ne sutor ultra crepidam , has been used in reference to him by some writers.