Apelles

(c 352 - 308 BC)

Apelles was born on Kos and was to become one of the most praised painters of the ancient world. Nothing of his work has survived to the afterworld, but we know about it through other writers' descriptions.
He painted Alexander the Great many times, and one of these paintings hung in the temple of Artemis in Ephesus. It showed Alexander holding a lightning that seemed to come out of the canvas.
An anecdote tells us how Alexander once saw one of these paintings of himself, but did not think it resembled him. When Alexander's horse neighed at the sight of the painting, Apelles said it understood art better than its owner.
Apelles also painted scenes from mythology like Venus Anadyomene and Calumny, personifying Ignorance, Suspicion and Envy etc. He is also credited with having painted the first self portrait in the world.