Antiphilus () was an ancient Greek painter from Naucratis,[ The Epochs of Painting Characterized by Ralph Nicholson Wornum.][ A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities by William Smith] Egypt, in the age of Alexander the Great. He worked for Philip II of Macedon and Ptolemy I of Egypt. Thus, he was a contemporary of Apelles, whose rival he is said to have been, but he seems to have worked in quite another style. Quintilian speaks of his facility: the descriptions of his works which have come down to us show that he excelled in light and shade, in genre representations, and in caricature.[ This cites Heinrich Brunn, Geschichte der griechischen Künstler, ii. p. 249.]
Paintings of Antiphilus on display in ancient Rome
In ancient Rome, according to Pliny the Elder, the Schola Octaviae was ornamented by paintings by Antiphilus, among which were his
Hesione and his painting of the group of Alexander and Philip with
Minerva. The Curia Pompeii, famous as the place of assassination of
Julius Caesar, was of the form called an
exedra, or hall furnished with seats, and was decorated with pictures of
Cadmus and Europa by Antiphilus.
[ Rome and the Campagna: a historical and topographical description of the site, buildings, and neighbourhood of ancient Rome, Robert Burn, 1871, (Deighton, Bell, & Co., Cambridge, England); (Bell & Daldy, London)]
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