Paeon - 2013
24" x 36"
Acrylic on wood
$6,000
Notes from the artist:
The peony has a long history in human spiritual life. Although many gods and demigods associated with the Greek pantheon were involved in healing and medicine, one of these, Paeon, is known as the healer of the Olympian gods. In verses 401 and 899 of Homer's Iliad, Paeon applies soothing herbal ointments, to heal first Hades and then Ares. Here the healer's many patients float in the floral clouds, waiting for their appointment. Paeon is seated on a throne nestled among the flowers named for him. In his hands, he holds a book enumerating some of the flower's medical applications. Zeus turned Paeon into the Peony when Asclepius became jealous of his skill. The word 'Paeon' became a hymn to Apollo, and then a general word for hymns..
