Zeuxis was born in Hraclee around 464 B.-C and was presumably the pupil of Appolodore. As a painter he specialised in the representation of female figures bringing much feeling in his works. Asked once to paint Helen, the wife of Ulysses, he chose five beautiful women as models and reunited the best of her features and shapes to produce his work.
Admiring this painting, the painter Nicomachus said he felt he was seeing a goddess.
Zeuxis also painted a family of Centaurs which was considered as one of his masterpieces. He had also to compete with Parrhasius when both were asked to produce a painting that would determine who was the best Greek painter.
Zeuxis painted a still-life of grapes which was so perfect that birds tried to pick up while Parrhasius showed him a painting covered by a veil which he tried to raise but it occurred that the veil was in fact a painting itself. Zeuxis then had to admit his defeat.
He was known to have painted an assembly of gods, Hercules strangling snakes in his cot, Eros crowned with roses, Alcmne, Menelas, an athlete, Pan, Marsyas chained and an old woman. Most of his works were taken to Rome and to Byzance but disappeared during the time of Pausanias.
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