John Dickson Batten [1860-1932]

- The Garden of Adonis - Amoretta and Time, 1887

The subject of Batten's painting is taken from Book III of Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene", which is devoted to the legend of Chastity. The twins Amoretta and Belphoebe were the daughters of the nymph Chrysogone. The two babies were adopted, Belphoebe by the goddess of the hunt Diana, and Amoretta by Venus, goddess of love. Venus conveyed Amoretta to the Garden of Adonis, her `joyous Paradise', the flowers of which "dame Nature doth her beautify, and decks the girlonds of her Paramoures". However, even here the "faire flowre of beautie fades away, as doth the lilly fresh before the sunny ray", for:

Great enimy to it, and to all the rest
That in the Gardin of Adonis springs,
Is wicked Tyme; who with his scyth addrest
Does mow the flowring herbes and goodly things,
And all their glory to the ground downe flings,
Where they do wither, and are fowly mard:
He flyes about, and with his flaggy winges
Beates downe both leaves and buds withourt regard,
Ne ever pitty may relent his malice hard.

In this garden Amoretta was brought up by Psyche, and "trained up in trew feminitee" and "goodly womanhead",

In which when she to perfect ripenes grew,
Of grace and beautie noble Paragone,
She brought her forth into the worldes vew,
To be th'ensample of true love alone,
And Lodestarre of all chaste affection
To all fayre Ladies that doe live on grownd.
To Faery court she came; where many one
Admyred her goodly haveour, and fownd
His feeble hart wide launched with loves cruel wownd.

Daniel Sprick, 1953

Lucien-Victor Guirand de Scevola (1871-1950)

Head of a Lady in Medieval Costume, 1900

Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach | Symbolist / Art Nouveau painter

Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach (1851-1913) was a German painter and social reformer.

Diefenbach is a champion of reform of life , as the pioneer of naturism and the peace movement. His commune "Himmelhof" in Ober St. Veit (1897-1899) was one of the models for the students of his Gusto Graser reform founded settlements Monte Verita in Ascona.

As a painter he is an independent representative of Art Nouveau and Symbolism.

Diefenbach was a son of the painter and art teacher at the high school Hadamar Leonhard Diefenbach.

Brian O'Neill, 1969 | Figurative painter

American painter Brian O’Neill is a Signature Member of The Pastel Society of America and is proficient in a variety of mediums including oil, pastel, acrylic and charcoal.

His work has been showcased in galleries across The U.S, Canada, Japan and England.

O’Neill is most noted for his floral paintings and drawings and has been an avid gardener and nature enthusiast most of his life.

Brian is a graduate of The Ani Art Academy apprenticeship program where he studied under the guidance of acclaimed realism painter Anthony Waichulis.

In the spring of 2013 O’Neill joined The Memorial Art Gallery Creative Workshop in Rochester, NY where he teaches fundamental drawing and painting skills.