Thomas Bromley Blacklock was born in 1863 in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, and died in 1903 at the young age of 40.

The son of the English teacher at Kirkcudbright Academy, Thomas was trained in painting in Edinburgh, working mainly in pen and ink and later in oils in East Lothian before returning to Kirkcudbright. He was inspired by the local landscapes which feature in much of his work and he captures their haunting beauty perfectly. At some point he began to include children and fairies in the scenes and some of his later works allude to Galloway folklore.

Ida Rentoul Outhwaite (born Ida Sherbourne Rentoul, 1888–1960) was a famous Australian children's book illustrator who gained worldwide acclaim for her poetic drawings of fairies, elves, and nature spirits. She worked mostly with pen, ink, and watercolors, creating a unique signature style known for its delicate linework, beautiful silhouettes, and magical atmosphere.

What truly set her art apart was the clever integration of traditional European fairy folklore into the Australian bush, where mythical creatures frequently interacted with native animals like koalas, kangaroos, and kookaburras.

Alessandro Zezzos was an Italian painter born in Venice to a Venetian mother and a Greek father. After completing his classical studies, he enrolled at the Venice Academy where he befriended his fellow students Nono, Milesi and Favretto. Among his favorite subjects we find costume scenes, portraits and various figures in Venetian city environments.

The inspiration for the painter was the biblical story of Tobit's journey, taken from the Book of Tobit. In the Bible, the companion of the boy wandering with the dog was only the Archangel Raphael. Malczewski's painting depicts all three Archangels known from the Catholic tradition: Raphael, Michael and Gabriel. These figures hold the symbols of a staff, a lily and a sword, according to their main qualities.