Nicomachus of Thebes

Ancient Greek painters
Agatharchus Androcydes Antiphilus Apelles Apollodorus Aristides of Thebes Cimon of Cleonae Echion Euphranor Eupompus Melanthius Nicomachus of Thebes Pamphilus Panaenus Parrhasius Pausias Polyeidos Polygnotus Protogenes Theon of Samos Timarete Timomachus Zeuxis

Nicomachus of Thebes (Greek: Νικόμαχος; fl. 4th century BC) was an ancient Greek painter, a native of Thebes, and a contemporary of the great painters of the Classical period; his father and son were also painters. Vitruvius observes that if his fame was less than his contemporaries, it was the fault of fortune rather than a lack of talent.

Pliny gives a list of his works; among them a Rape of Persephone, Victory in a Quadriga, Apollo and Artemis, and Cybele seated on a Lion.^[1] Many of his works were taken to Rome. Pliny tells us that he was a very rapid worker and claims that he was one of the painters who used only four colors. Plutarch mentions his paintings as possessing the Homeric merit of ease and absence of effort.

References

1. Pliny. Natural History, XXXV.108.

Sources

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.