St. Hemlock Print by Olga Volchkova

High quality 18 x 12" print reproduction of St Hemlock by Olga Volchkova.

“We owe a rooster to Asclepius” said Socrates, before he took his last breath. In ancient Athens, the death sentence was self-executed through a potion of hemlock. But in my paintings, I often give my characters a chance to escape their history. That’s the role of the little boat. One of the deadliest of nightshades, hemlock shouldn’t even be touched in the wild. It was used in tiny amounts as part of the recipe known as “flying ointment”--not taken internally, but rubbed on the skin. This would create a sort of psychedelic effect, making you feel like you’re flying.

- O.V.