Prism

Prism was a great artist who worked himself to death creating a monument for a woman he loved yet had only ever glimpsed once.

In Baldur's Gate, Prism is likely first heard of in Nashkel, as he has stolen some emeralds and there is a bounty for their return. Later, he can be found near the Nashkel mines, working feverishly (using Potions of Speed) on carving to a rock face a giant version of the woman he has fallen for. He has stolen the emeralds to somehow catch the spark of her eyes, although it's never made entirely clear what he is doing with them. The woman turns out to be called Ellesime (perhaps the same one seen in Baldur's Gate II), and he says that he has only seen her once in the outskirts of Evereska but did not dare to address her. The player can kill Prism and take the emeralds or agree to protect him from the bounty hunter Greywolf who has the same intentions. After Greywolf is killed, Prism will finish the skulpture and promptly die. At that point, the player can freely take the emeralds, which are lying on the ground where his body is but may be supposed to be integrated to the statue somehow.

In Baldur's gate II: Shadows of Amn, there is a side quest in which the player character needs to acquire the services of an artist who is mentioned as being second perhaps only to the late Prism.