OLGA VOLCHKOVA Russian/American, 1970
Paeon - Original and print available, 2013
Acrylic on wood
36" x24" original painting
14" x 12" Signed print available $100
14" x 12" Signed print available $100
The peony already has a long history in human spiritual life. Many gods and demigods associated with the Greek pantheon were involved in healing and medicine. One of these, Paeon,...
The peony already has a long history in human spiritual life. 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. The titular character 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.