Calumny of Appelles
The Calumny of Apelles was a scene that dated back to classical antiquity. Apelles was a Hellenistic painter that was falsely accused of conspiracy against Ptolemy IV, the leader of Egypt, by a rival painter of the name Antiphilos. Even though Apelles had never met his supposed fellow conspirator, nor been to the location of their rendezvous, Ptolemy arrested him. Upon hearing a testimony to Apelles innocence by a current prisoner of the conspiracy, Ptolemy released Apelles and offered him Antiphilos as a slave and a large amount of gold. Apelles decided to act a more allegorical retribution, and created a painting of the scene that portrayed the king adorned with the ass’s ears of Midas.
Although the original description of the work did not survive, Lucian described it in his On Calumny. It goes,
“On the right of it sits a man with very large ears, almost like those of Midas, extending his hand to Slander while she is still at some distance from him. Near him, on one side, stand two women—Ignorance and Suspicion. On the other side, Slander is coming up, a woman beautiful beyond measure, but full of malignant passion and excitement, evincing as she does fury and wrath by carrying in her left hand a blazing torch and with the other dragging by the hair a young man who stretches out his hands to heaven and calls the gods to witness his innocence. She is conducted by a pale ugly man who has piercing eye and looks as if he had wasted away in long illness; he represents envy. There are two women in attendance to Slander, one is Fraud and the other Conspiracy. They are followed by a woman dressed in deep mourning, with black clothes all in tatters—she is Repentance. At all events, she is turning back with tears in her eyes and casting a stealthy glance, full of shame, at Truth, who is slowly approaching.”
As well, Leon Baptista Alberti described the scene in his On Painting, which was likely read by Sandro during his time as a young artist. In the final work, there is evidence that reflects both Lucian and Alberti as inspirations of Sandro’s painting.
It is a small, highly detailed painting. The amount of detail makes it possible that the painting was intended for minute observation. Every detail, the drapery, the attitude, and the coloring of each figure were expressly chosen to convey a profound sense of emotional expression. The dark colors of envy and remorse are purposefully chosen to contrast the light colors of fraud and conspiracy; it was likely that this was a commentary on the nature of these sins. All of the clothed characters are in contrast to the stark nudity of truth and upward motion of truth. This movement is similar to that of Plato in Raphael’s masterpiece, and conveyed the same message of idealized, heavenly thought as his Plato.
Although the original description of the work did not survive, Lucian described it in his On Calumny. It goes,
“On the right of it sits a man with very large ears, almost like those of Midas, extending his hand to Slander while she is still at some distance from him. Near him, on one side, stand two women—Ignorance and Suspicion. On the other side, Slander is coming up, a woman beautiful beyond measure, but full of malignant passion and excitement, evincing as she does fury and wrath by carrying in her left hand a blazing torch and with the other dragging by the hair a young man who stretches out his hands to heaven and calls the gods to witness his innocence. She is conducted by a pale ugly man who has piercing eye and looks as if he had wasted away in long illness; he represents envy. There are two women in attendance to Slander, one is Fraud and the other Conspiracy. They are followed by a woman dressed in deep mourning, with black clothes all in tatters—she is Repentance. At all events, she is turning back with tears in her eyes and casting a stealthy glance, full of shame, at Truth, who is slowly approaching.”
As well, Leon Baptista Alberti described the scene in his On Painting, which was likely read by Sandro during his time as a young artist. In the final work, there is evidence that reflects both Lucian and Alberti as inspirations of Sandro’s painting.
It is a small, highly detailed painting. The amount of detail makes it possible that the painting was intended for minute observation. Every detail, the drapery, the attitude, and the coloring of each figure were expressly chosen to convey a profound sense of emotional expression. The dark colors of envy and remorse are purposefully chosen to contrast the light colors of fraud and conspiracy; it was likely that this was a commentary on the nature of these sins. All of the clothed characters are in contrast to the stark nudity of truth and upward motion of truth. This movement is similar to that of Plato in Raphael’s masterpiece, and conveyed the same message of idealized, heavenly thought as his Plato.