a famous painter of Thasos, flourished about 422 years before the Christian era, and was the son and scholar of Aglaophon. He adorned one of the public porticoes of Athens with his paintings, in which he had represented the most striking events of the Trojan war. The Athenians were so pleased with him, that they offered to reward his labours with whatever he pleased to accept; but he declined the offer; and the Amphictyonic council, which was composed of the representatives of the principal cities of Greece, ordered that Polygnotus should be maintained at the public expense wherever he went.

Of the talents of Polygnotus much honourable mention is made by many of the best authors of antiquity, as Aristotle and Plutarch, Dionysius Halicarnassensis, Vol. XV. Part I.

Paufanias speaks of his pictures of the events of the Trojan war, and, in his Tenth Book, introduces a very long description of other pictures by the same artist, painted also from Homer in the temple at Delphos. The passage, however, gives but a confused and imperfect idea of the painter's performance. How much the art is indebted to this ancient matter, what grace and softness he gave to the human countenance, what embellishments he added to the female figure and dress, are much more happily described by Pliny. "Primus mulieres lucida vesta pinxit, capitum mitris versicoloribus operuit, plurimumque picturae primus contulit: siquidem instituit os adaperire, dentes offendere, vultum ab antiquo rigore variare."—The same author likewise bears honourable testimony to the liberal spirit of this great artist, who refused any reward for his ingenious labours in the portico. "Porticum gratuito, cum partem ejus Mycon mercede pingere." Plin. lib. 35. cap. 8.