Alphonse Maria Mucha | Master of Art Nouveau

Alphonse Mucha was born in what is now the Czech Republic in 1860 and moved to Paris in 1890 where he became the star of the poster-art movement under the patronage of the Sarah Bernhardt. After World War I he returned to Czechoslovakia and became the father of a slavic arts and crafts movement which combined elements of art nouveau with classic national themes. In addition to commercial art, jewelry design, interior decoration, sculpture and stage design, Mucha experimented with lettering and calligraphy to produce excellent source material for unique typefaces. Mucha's style is virtually synonymous with French Art Nouveau and he is one of the most imitated artists and designers of all time.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir: "It's with my brush that I make love"

"People love to be nice, but you must give them the chance".

"Regularity, order, desire for perfection destroy art. Irregularity is the basis of all art".

"The work of art must seize upon you, wrap you up in itself, carry you away. It is the means by which the artist conveys his passion; it is the current which he puts forth which sweeps you along in his passion".

Jerome G. Parker | Portrait painter

A Central California native, Jerome Garth Parker comes from a family of artists and musicians. A quiet and introspective figure, Jerome is active in galleries in this beautiful region of his home state.

Figurative compositions, closely observed from life, comprise many of this artists rich work in oils and charcoal.

Though clearly inspired by the masters, Jerome's intriguing subjects nevertheless capture a certain contemporary view of life in the moment.

Antonio Ermolao Paoletti | Venetian flower sellers

Pablo Picasso: "La pittura non è fatta per decorare gli appartamenti"

• "Quando uno inizia un ritratto e cerca per successive eliminazioni di trovare la forma pura... si finisce inevitabilmente con un uovo..."

• "Dipingere non è un'operazione estetica: è una forma di magia intesa a compiere un'opera di mediazione fra questo mondo estraneo ed ostile e noi."

• "Dipingo gli oggetti come li penso, non come li vedo."

• "I 40 anni sono quell'età in cui ci si sente finalmente giovani. Ma è troppo tardi."

Mary Jane Ansell, 1972

Mary Jane Ansell è stata finalista del prestigioso BP Portrait Award nel 2004, 2009, 2010 e 2012 e successivamente è stata incaricata dalla National Portrait Gallery di dipingere Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou.

Espone regolarmente con la Royal Society of Portrait Painters, è membro del CBPP Contemporary British Portrait Painters, vive nel Regno Unito ed espone a livello internazionale con recenti mostre collettive e personali a Londra, New York e Los Angeles.

Rabindranath Tagore | At the end of the day

I know, this day will come to an end

At the end of the day

Wanly smiling

The dying sun will look at my face

Bidding me its last farewell.

The flute will play by the side of the way

The cattle will graze on the banks of the river

Louis Apol | Winter landscape with sunset