The Three Adonises
Titled after the artist’s own middle name, The Three Adonises explores lineage, legacy, and the inherited weight of identity within the Arnold family. The name “Adonis”—of Greek origin, meaning “lord” or “master”—has been passed down through generations, beginning with the family patriarch, Tutil Arnold, and bestowed upon the artist at birth as the firstborn grandson.

This work contemplates the symbolic and emotional resonance of a name that carries both reverence and responsibility. Through this multigenerational portrait, Troy Hul Arnold reflects on the expectations placed upon the men in his family, and on the quiet strength required to uphold a legacy. The painting becomes a meditation on masculine identity shaped not only by heritage, but by the evolving roles of provider, bearer, and storyteller.