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Use the story "The Two Great Painters" from Fifty Famous People by James Baldwin to complete the activity.

There was once a painter whose name was Zeuxis. He could paint pictures so life-like that they were mistaken for the real things which they represented.

At one time he painted the picture of some fruit which was so real that the birds flew down and pecked at it. This made him very proud of his skill.

"I am the only man in the world who can paint a picture so true to life," he said.

There was another famous artist whose name was Parrhasius. When he heard of the boast which Zeuxis had made, he said to himself, "I will see what I can do."

So he painted a beautiful picture which seemed to be covered with a curtain. Then he invited Zeuxis to come and see it.

Zeuxis looked at it closely. "Draw the curtain aside and show us the picture," he said.
Parrhasius laughed and answered, "The curtain is the picture."

"Well," said Zeuxis, "you have beaten me this time, and I shall boast no more. I deceived only the birds, but you have deceived me, a painter."

Some time after this, Zeuxis painted another wonderful picture. It was that of a boy carrying a basket of ripe red cherries. When he hung this painting outside of his door, some birds flew down and tried to carry the cherries away.

"Ah! This picture is a failure," he said. "For if the boy had been as well painted as the cherries, the birds would have been afraid to come near him."

Identify the theme of the excerpt and explain how you determined that theme. Write 3–5 sentences.

The theme of this excerpt is the power of art. This is demonstrated by the two painters, Zeuxis and Parrhasius, who both create art that is so realistic that it is mistaken for the real thing. Zeuxis boasts that he is the only one who can paint a picture so true to life, but Parrhasius proves him wrong by painting a picture that is so realistic that it is mistaken for a curtain. Even Zeuxis' second painting is so realistic that the birds try to take the cherries away. This shows the power of art to create something that is so realistic that it can deceive even the most experienced of painters.

Answered is right but just paste that and edit it so it is rewritten

in your own words and you wont get flagged for plagiarism :)

The theme of the excerpt is the power and illusion of art. This is determined by the contrast between Zeuxis and Parrhasius, where Zeuxis boasts of his ability to paint realistic pictures, but is then outdone by Parrhasius who creates a painting that deceives even the skilled Zeuxis. This indicates that art has the power to create illusions and deceive the viewer, reminding us that perception is often subjective. Additionally, the excerpt suggests that true mastery of art lies in the ability to capture the essence and detail of the subject, as seen with Zeuxis' self-criticism of his painting of the boy and cherries.

The theme of the excerpt is the power of art and skill in deception. This is evident from the competition between Zeuxis and Parrhasius, both renowned painters, to create realistic paintings. Zeuxis initially boasts about his ability to paint lifelike pictures, but is ultimately defeated by Parrhasius, who tricks him with a painting of a curtain. This demonstrates that art has the power to deceive even those who possess exceptional skill, emphasizing the ability of artists to create illusions through their work. Additionally, Zeuxis' observation about the boy and the cherries suggests that a successful painting requires consistent attention to detail and realism in all its components.

The theme of the excerpt is the humility and self-awareness of the artists. This is evident through their reactions and reflections upon their own works. Zeuxis initially boasts about his skill, but is humbled by Parrhasius' artwork. Zeuxis realizes that he may have deceived birds with his lifelike paintings, but Parrhasius has deceived him, a fellow painter. Similarly, Zeuxis acknowledges his own shortcomings in his second painting, acknowledging that if he had painted the boy as well as the cherries, the birds would have been afraid. By examining the characters' reactions and self-reflection, it becomes clear that the theme of the excerpt is humility and self-awareness.