TIMANTHES AND THE DO-OVER
Over 2,000 years ago a young Greek artist named Timanthes (Tim-an-thes) painted this picture - The Sacrifice of Iphigenia. Before he painted this masterpiece when the artist Timanthes (Tim-an-thes) was a young man, he studied under a well-known and highly respected tutor. After several years, the young painter created a superb portrait. But unfortunately, he became so enraptured with the painting that he spent days gazing at it.
One morning when he arrived to admire his work, he was shocked to find it had been vandalised -- blotted out with paint. Angry and in tears, Timanthes ran to his teacher to report this tragic act of destruction. To his amazement, the teacher of Timanthes knew all about the defaced painting, admitted that he had destroyed the painting and he admitted that it was him who had damaged it!
"I did it for your own good. That painting was retarding your progress. Start again and see if you can do better."
Timanthes took his teacher's advice and produced "Sacrifice of I-phi-genia" which is regarded as one of the finest paintings of antiquity.