Andrew Atroshenko, 1965 | Ballet dancers

Born in the City of Pokrovsk, Russia, Andrew Atroshenko became part of a gifted child program at the Children’s Art School there, and was later accepted at the St. Petersburg Academy of Art, one of the world’s most prestigious art schools.

In 1999 Atroshenko spent the entire year in the U.S.

He was invited by "Bay Arts", a New England based group, to take part in their exhibitions and activities.

Victor Hugo | Surrealist Illustrator

Victor Marie Hugo (1802-1885) was not only one of France's greatest poet, novelist and dramatist, but also a prolific artist, painter, watercolourist, draughtsman and caricaturist.

Victor Hugo produced more than 4000 drawings.

Originally pursued as a casual hobby, drawing became more important to Hugo shortly before his exile, when he made the decision to stop writing in order to devote himself to politics.

Drawing became his exclusive creative outlet during the period 1848-1851.

Jean Béraud | Belle Époque painter

Jean Béraud (January 12, 1848 - October 4, 1935) was a French painter renowned for his numerous paintings depicting the life of Paris, and the nightlife of Paris society.

Pictures of the Champs Elysees, cafés, Montmartre and the banks of the Seine are precisely detailed illustrations of everyday Parisian life during the "Belle Époque".

He also painted religious subjects in a contemporary setting.

Denis Nolet, 1964 | Romantic painter

Canadian painter Denis Nolet preferring moonlight to sunlight.

He paints scenes saturated with the romance of the night.

Denis Nolet was born in Quebec.

Denis Nolet prefers the mystery of the night to the rays of the sun, which explains his penchant for the colors he uses.

Night owl himself, it is while people sleep that the artist works.

Ron Hicks, 1965: "I like to romanticize life"

"I see things very abstractly, so I think of myself as a painter who sees shape, value, edges and texture.

I like to romanticize life.

I love the interaction of people doing...'things' - whatever it is.

It could be the most mundane thing to any passer - by, but I find great beauty in that" - Ron Hicks

Jaime Sabines | I’m not dying of love: I’m dying of you..

I'm not dying of love: I'm dying of you

my love-dying of the love of you,

of my dire need for my skin of you,

of my soul and my mouth of you,

of the miserable wretch I am without you.

I’m dying of you and me, of both

of us, of this-

ripped to shreds, torn apart,

the two of us are dying, dying of it.

Ron Hicks

Frederick Morgan | Romantic / Genre painter

Frederick Morgan (1847-1927), was an English painter of portraits, animals, domestic and country scenes.

He became known for his idyllic genre scenes of childhood.

Morgan was born in London. He was commonly known as Fred Morgan and was the son of John Morgan, a successful genre artist sometimes known as 'Jury Morgan' (after one of his paintings The Gentlemen of the Jury).