Heide Presse, 1958 | Romantic painter

Heide E. Presse was born in Heidelberg, Germany, and grew up in Louisiana.

Born with a natural artistic talent into a family with no other artistically inclined members, Presse had no formal art instruction until college. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in design from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas in 1980.

She worked as a commercial artist in Texas, but now calls Florida home with her husband and son.

In 1990, she decided to focus exclusively on painting, working in watercolor first, and more recently oil.

Her works have been recognized internationally and have been exhibited in many national exhibitions, including the exhibition of the American Painting Association.

Cristiano Banti | Macchiaioli painter

Cristiano Banti (4 January 1824 - 4 December 1904) was an Italian genre and landscape painter. He was a leading figure in the Macchiaioli movement of Tuscany.

Banti was born into a middle class family in Santa Croce sull'Arno. A scholarship enabled him to study at the Accademia di belle arti di Siena with Francesco Nenci.

At this time, he worked in the Neo-Classical style and produced what is perhaps his best-known work, Galileo Facing the Inquisition.

In 1854, he moved to Florence and became an habitué of the Caffè Michelangiolo, an important meeting place for local artists.

It was here that he had his introduction to the Macchiaioli movement.

Theodor von Hörmann | Impressionist / Genre painter

Theodor von Hörmann (1840-1895) is regarded as the first and only Austrian impressionist painter.

He was born on December 13, 1840 in Imst in Tyrol. He set out to pursue a career as a military officer and taught gymnastics, fencing and freehand drawing in various military schools.

In 1869 Hörmann’s first artistic attempts began with copies of color prints.

He soon turned to painting in oil. In 1872, already 33 years old and totally self-taught, Hörmann began art studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna under Eduard von Lichtenfels.

Among his classmates were the younger students Hugo Darnaut and and Hugo Charlemont. Hörmann gained access to Emil Jakob Schindler, the most important Austrian landscape painter of the period.

Timoleon Lobrichon | Genre painter

Timoléon Marie Lobrichon (1831-1914) was a French genre scenes and portrait painter.

He received a formal artistic training with François Edouard Picot at the Paris Beaux-Arts Academy.

In 1859, he started exhibiting at the French Artists Salon and was awarded a first class medal in 1868. Lobrichon became one of the most sought after and praised painter for his portraits of children.

George Sand racconta Chopin

"Lei era appoggiata al pianoforte, e il suo sguardo ardente come brace era su di me. La mia anima aveva trovato un porto.

Mi prese una sorta di languore, nondimeno mi ritirai dal pianoforte con soggezione.

L’ho rivista in seguito altre volte nel suo salotto, con persone dell'aristocrazia francese.

Poi un’altra volta che si trovava sola.

Mi ama, Aurora è un nome magico. La notte è sparita".

Con queste parole, il compositore polacco Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) descriveva nel suo diario, il 10 ottobre 1838, l'incontro a Parigi con la scrittrice Francese George Sand, orgoglioso di essere oggetto non solo del desiderio, ma anche delle attenzioni e delle tenerezze di una donna che, a Parigi, era già considerata una celebrità.

Eugène Delacroix | Portrait of Frédéric Chopin and George Sand, 1838 (unfinished)