Antonio Bas

Another artist in Mrs. Ellsworth's patronage, Antonio Bas never actually appears in the story; his name appears at the beginning and toward the end. Mrs. Ellsworth mentions him at the conclusion, possibly in an effort to chide Oceola for rejecting the conditions of her money.

Dora Ellsworth

The narrator introduces Mrs. Ellsworth as a wealthy, middle-aged, white widow with no children. These qualities become central to the progress of the story as they influence Mrs. Ellsworth's artistic patronage. Mrs. Ellsworth's motivation for artistic patronage-helping a constant retinue of young artists-is not a pure love of art, but rather is mixed with a desire both for intimacy and for power. As Oceola Jones's patron, Mrs. Ellsworth attempts to shape the young woman's sensibility and, ultimately, her life. Hughes depicts Mrs. Ellsworth as the embodiment of a traditional demand that art be "transcendental." Accordingly, art should be above life...