Both aspects were of supreme importance to Alma-Tadema to establish his artistic style. In London, he could devote part of his time to study Roman and Greek culture, and “visit” and admire these civilizations in the British Museum.

His broad network allowed him to get in close contact with the entourage of the Royal Academy of Arts, thereby working closely with the institution. Only one year after his arrival in the British capital, he had befriended most British artists, especially those who were to become known as the Pre-Raphaelites. This way, he would appear first on the artist register. In 1870 he moved to England and settled in London, eventually anglicizing his name to Lawrence and hyphenating his middle name, Alma, with his last name to become Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema, The Women of Amphissa, oil on canvas, 122.5 x 184.2 cm, 1887 © Courtesy of Clark Art Institute. At that same time, Tadema married and honeymooned in Italy, traveling to Florence, Rome, Naples, and the excavated Pompeii, which had a great impact on him. From thereon, he slowly began incorporating Egyptian themes, during a period that required intense research.

In his early phase, he mainly painted Merovingian scenes, which set the foundation for the romantic aspect of his style and his interest in Roman influences, as Merovingian art was reminiscent of the classical style. Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema, Egyptian Chess Players, oil on canvas, 55.5 x 40.5 cm, 1865 © Courtesy of private collectionīorn in the Netherlands, Lourens Alma Tadema (his original name) trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. His later works – hitherto unparalleled – earned him the title of an “expert in antiquity.” To what extent did Alma-Tadema shape our understanding of the classical times, and what can we learn from his paintings in relation to our own age of cultural decadence?

During the earlier stages of his artistic career, he started by depicting folk traditions and romantic scenes, then moved on to portray all sorts of classical themes, devoting his time and energy to researching classical visual culture and ancient performing arts. Well-acknowledged in his time, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema brought scenes from ancient history to life in his decadent paintings.

Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema, Unconscious Rivals, oil on wood, 45.1 x 62.9 cm, 1893 © Courtesy of Bristol Museum The startingly beautiful paintings by the artists who was once celebrated then rejected portray the luxury and decadence of the classical era through a contemporary lens.

Lawrence alma tadema paintings for sale