In Greek mythology, the satyr Marsyas is a central figure in two stories involving music: in one, he picked up the double oboe (aulos) that had been abandoned by Athena and played it; in the other, he challenged Apollo to a contest of music and lost his hide and life. In antiquity, literary sources often emphasize the hubris of Marsyas and the justice of his punishment.
Hellenistic Marsyas playing the aulos, with dedication in Greek to the god Oxus, by "Atrosokes", a Bactrian name. Temple of the Oxus, Takht-i Sangin, 200-150 BC. National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan.
Apollo flaying Marsyas in Apollo and Marsyas by José de Ribera
Marsyas tied, by Peter Paul Rubens, Louvre Museum
Zeuxis was a late 5th-century- early 4th-century BCE Greek artist famed for his ability to create images that appeared highly realistic. None of his works survive, but anecdotes about Zeuxis' art and life have been referenced often in the history and literature of art and in art theory.
Victor Mottez, Zeuxis choosing his models (1858)
Zeuxis Choosing his Models for the Image of Helen from among the Girls of Croton, detail
Arent de Gelder, Self-Portrait as Zeuxis Portraying an Ugly Old Woman (1685)