ABSTRACT
The chapter is dedicated to Zeuxis' famous portrait of Helen of Troy, which has been widely discussed throughout the centuries and remains a topic of interest in contemporary art. The Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero was the first to provide a detailed description of this legendary painting, for which the Greek artist selected and combined the most beautiful features of five models from Croton. While Cicero referred to the anecdote in De inventione (On invention, c. 86–84 AD) to justify his own selective approach as an author, it became one of the leading principles of artistic imitation in the early modern period, prioritizing the surpassing of nature in pursuit of perfect beauty.
