The golden apples of immortality grew in the mythological Garden of the Hesperides. On this Athenian red‑figure lekythos, four nymphs tend the trees, and the goddess Artemis approaches in a chariot drawn by deer, accompanied by a centaur. Although the Garden frequently appears in Greek art in connection with the labors of Herakles, it serves here as an idyllic setting frequented by divinities. Gardens were a favorite theme in the work of several vase‑painters in the late 400s B.C. The vase‑painter attempted to create a sense of depth and landscape in the painting by adding faintly outlined rocks, such as those that partially hide Artemis and those supporting the Hesperids.
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