Apelles chooses nudes 

Fyodor Bronnikov's canvas presents Apelles, the renowned painter of antiquity, in the act of selecting models. Here, the idealized female form is on display; the gathering of nudes presented before the artist evokes the ancient Greek pursuit of aesthetic perfection and the creation of beauty. Note the arrangement of the figures – a tableau of flesh reminiscent of the Judgement of Paris. This scene is a recurring motif throughout art history. This motif is not merely a display of beauty, but a competition, a psychological drama played out on the bodies of women. The artist's role—Apelles selecting his model—mirrors the artist’s power to choose and create, but also hints at the male gaze, a potent force in art that stirs the depths of our cultural memory and shapes the creation and reception of images. This psychological tension is a persistent current throughout art history, a dialogue between power, beauty, and the human form. The theme of selection, judgment, and the ideal form persists, echoing through the ages and taking on new forms and meanings.