Antinous, the Greek God / Antinoo, il Dio Greco

Antinous -also Antinoüs or Antinoös, Ancient Greek: Ἀντίνοος (27 November, c. 111 - before 30 October 130) was a Bithynian Greek youth and a favourite, or lover, of the Roman emperor Hadrian.

He was deified after his death, being worshiped in both the Greek East and Latin West, sometimes as a god (theos) and sometimes merely as a hero (heros).

Little is known of Antinous' life, although it is known that he was born in Claudiopolis (present day Bolu, Turkey), in the Roman province of Bithynia. He was probably introduced to Hadrian in 123, before being taken to Italy for a higher education.

He had become the favourite of Hadrian by 128, when he was taken on a tour of the Empire as part of Hadrian's personal retinue. Antinous accompanied Hadrian during his attendance of the annual Eleusinian Mysteries in Athens, and was with him when he killed the Marousian lion in Libya.

Dan Thompson | Portrait / Figurative painter

American painter🎨 Dan Thompson was born in Alexandria, Virginia, and graduated from the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC. He earned his MFA from the Graduate School of Figurative Art of the New York Academy of Art, and supplemented his training with several additional years of private study and studio apprenticeships along the east coast of the United States.

He has been awarded two grants from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation and has twice received the Ethel Lorraine Bernstein Memorial Award🎨 for Excellence in Painting from the Corcoran College of Art and Design.

In 2001, Thompson won Best of Show in the American Society of Portrait Artist’s International Portrait Competition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Russell Mills, 1971 | Abstract mixed media painter

British illustrator🎨 Russell Mills (aka) Byroglyphics was born in Exeter, Devon, UK. Graduated from Leeds Met University in 1995 after completing a BA in Graphic Art and Design, specialising in Experimental Film and Animation.

After finding gainful employment in various non-creative institutions went back to basics and began work with pen, pencil and computer. Has spent almost 20 years crafting skills, absorbing influences from every facet of visual culture and archiving found objects and ephemera to substantiate his work.

Khalil Gibran | Il pittore / The painter

Khalil Gibran (1883-1931) - Lebanese-American writer, poet, visual artist - painted more than 700 pictures, watercolors and drawings.

In 1930, Gibran's final will reflected this similar desire: "Everything found in my studio after my death - pictures, books, objects of art, ecc. - goes to Mrs. Mary Haskell Minis, now living at 24 Gaston Street West, Savannah, Ga. But I would like to have Mrs. Minis send all, or any part of these things, to my hometown, should she see fit to do so".

Kahlil Gibran | Love letter to Mary Haskell, 1912

New York, 7th January 1912

"Now I will say goodnight, as any other time.

I kiss you and then I say goodnight

and then I open the door and then I go out to the streets

with a full heart and a hungry soul.

But I always come again

to kiss you and to say goodnight

and to open the door and to go out to the street

with hungry soul and full heart".

Kahlil

New York - domenica pomeriggio, 7 gennaio 1912

"Ora ti do la buonanotte, come ogni altra volta.

Ti bacio e poi ti auguro la buonanotte,

e poi apro la porta e poi esco per le strade

con il cuore pieno e l’anima affamata.

Ma continuo a tornare, ancora e sempre,

per baciarti e augurarti la buonanotte

e aprire la porta e uscire per la strada

con l’anima affamata e il cuore pieno".

Kahlil