FOREWORD
According to a Greek fable, Zeuxis and Parrhasius were rival painters, renowned in the late fifth century BCE for their mastery of realism. Eager to determine who was the greater artist, Zeuxis proposed a contest to see who could paint the most convincing image.
When Zeuxis unveiled his work—a cluster of grapes—birds flew toward the canvas, deceived by its lifelike detail. It was then Parrhasius’s turn. He pointed to a painting concealed behind a curtain and invited Zeuxis to draw it aside. Confident of victory, Zeuxis reached forward, only to discover that the curtain itself was the painting. Admitting defeat, he laughed and declared, “I have deceived the birds, but Parrhasius has deceived Zeuxis.”
Just as human perception can be ...
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