Cattleya Orchid and Three Hummingbirds (1871)

A Beech Wood, Malvern, Worcestershire (1992)

Arriving for Shrovetide (1903)

born on May 7, 1878, in Astrakhan, Russia, and passing away on May 28, 1927, in Leningrad

"اللعب مع الطفل"

ممر في هيدنجلي, ليدز الانجليزية

Night with Her Train of Stars (1889)
ليلة مع قطارها المكون من النجوم
By Edward Robert Hughes

Rise of the Moon with an Angel (1902)
بزوغ القمر مع ملاكٍ
Maria Yakunchikova (Russian)

(صقور الليل)

The Roses of Heliogabalus (1888)
"ورود هليوغابالوس"
By Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema

This Roman mosaic from Pompeii shows a skeleton reclining calmly with a cup, surrounded by bread and wine. The contrast between death and pleasure delivers a clear message: life is brief, so it should be lived with awareness and joy.

The inscription Euphrosynos reflects a Greco-Roman, especially Epicurean, philosophy that sees the knowledge of death not as a cause for fear, but as a reason to value the present moment. The peaceful pose of the skeleton suggests acceptance rather than despair.

More than decoration, the mosaic is a timeless reminder that true joy comes from recognizing life’s limits and choosing to live fully while time remains.

By John Ballantyne 1815-1897