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diff --git a/old/69208-0.txt b/old/69208-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 895c4bc..0000000 --- a/old/69208-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1986 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema, by Helen -Zimmern - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema - -Author: Helen Zimmern - -Release Date: October 22, 2022 [eBook #69208] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Al Haines - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIR LAWRENCE ALMA -TADEMA *** - - - - - - - -[Frontispiece: AN EARTHLY PARADISE. ("ALL THE HEAVENS OF HEAVEN IN -ONE LITTLE CHILD.")] - - - - Bell's Miniature Series of Painters - - - SIR LAWRENCE - ALMA TADEMA - - R. A. - - - - BY - - HELEN ZIMMERN - - - - LONDON - GEORGE BELL & SONS - 1902 - - - - - CHISWICK PRESS: CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO. - TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON. - - - - -TABLE OF CONTENTS - - -Life of the Artist - -The Work of Alma Tadema - -The Art of Alma Tadema - -Our Illustrations - -List of the Principal Pictures by Alma Tadema, with Owners' Names - -List of the Principal Portraits painted by Alma Tadema - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - -An Earthly Paradise. ("All the Heavens of Heaven in one little -child") _Frontispiece_ - -A Reading from Homer - -At the Shrine of Venus - -"Ave Caesar! Iò Saturnalia!" - -Spring - -An Audience at Agrippa's - -Sappho - -The Coliseum - - - All the illustrations are reproduced by special permission - of the Berlin Photographic Company. - - - - - LIFE OF - SIR LAWRENCE ALMA TADEMA - -Laurens Alma Tadema was born on January 8th, 1836, at Dronryp, a -little town in the very heart of the Frisian province of Holland. -Hence by birth Tadema is Dutch, though by residence and -naturalization he is now an Englishman. His Dutch birth, as we shall -see later, was not without significant effect upon the development -and character of his art. The father, Pieter Tadema, was an -intelligent lawyer with a pronounced taste for music. Unfortunately, -while the young Laurens was still a baby, this parent died, and his -education and upbringing were left entirely in the hands of the -mother. A woman of unusual capacity, she found herself at an early -age with four children upon her hands--two, a girl and our painter, -being her own offspring, and two her husband's by a previous -marriage. The means at her disposal were small; but undaunted, she -put herself to fight single-handed the battle of life, and with such -success, that by her unassisted efforts she was able to place all her -children well. Laurens, her youngest, was also something of her -darling, and even as a child he realized all his mother was doing on -her children's behalf. To her early example no doubt are due his -great powers of perseverance, his undaunted application, his -high-minded sense of duty. - -From the very first his favourite plaything was a pencil and paper; -he drew as by instinct. A family tradition survives to the effect -that before he was five years old, Laurens had corrected an error in -a drawing-master's design. Nature herself, therefore, seems to have -pointed out his future career. But so the mother and guardians did -not think. Art was regarded in those days as a profession which -savoured of a discreditable character, and certainly not as one that -could be rendered lucrative. It was therefore resolved that Laurens -should follow in his father's footsteps. - -This choice he found irksome to the last degree, and irksome, too, -were the preliminary steps. For the dead languages he had no taste, -for all dry-bone studies he had little use. His spare hours, and -often his lesson hours too, were spent in drawing, and many a time he -would have himself awakened before daybreak in order that he might -devote the hours before school time to working at his favourite -pastime. He had no masters and little encouragement, nevertheless he -plodded on, and with such good results that already, in 1851, he was -able to exhibit in a Dutch gallery a portrait he had painted of his -sister, a work that even in its immaturity betrays some of the -qualities that distinguish his later and greater efforts in this -department. - -But the dual effort imposed on this young soul by the fight between -duty and inclination was too heavy a physical burden for the juvenile -shoulders to bear. A collapse of health occurred just as Laurens was -growing up, and so serious did it seem that the doctors told the -mother and guardians how, seeing the young man was not long for this -world, it seemed needless to mar his few remaining months of -existence by forcing him to continue his hated legal studies. For -this short period at least he might be allowed to be happy following -his bent. But what was the surprise of doctors and guardians when -Laurens, as soon as the heavy strain was removed, recovered as though -by magic, and rapidly became the sturdy, robust man he has remained -all his life. - -It was now at last evident to those in authority that Tadema was a -genius whose advance must not be thwarted or coerced; art, therefore, -was reluctantly acknowledged to be his proper profession, and to -prepare himself for this he sought admission to an art academy. - -Strange, nay almost incredible though it sounds, he could gain no -admission to those of his native land. Antwerp, at that time a noted -artistic centre, proved more discerning and less inhospitable. It -chanced that Tadema entered at a moment when the rival claims of -French pseudo-classicism and Belgian naturalism were dividing the -Academy into factions. - -The one, the Pseudo-classic, was headed by Louis David, who at that -time was living in Antwerp in exile. The other, called the -Belgian-Flemish School, aimed at reviving the ancient local art of -the Low Countries. Alma Tadema was not made of the stuff to become a -pseudo-classic or a pseudo anything. It was, therefore, quite -natural that the young student ranged himself at once with those who -sought to revive the best traditions of the Dutch and Flemish -schools. This native section was led by Wappers, and Tadema soon -became one of his most enthusiastic partisans. - -A friend who knew him in those days has said, "Tadema did not work at -Antwerp, he slaved in his efforts to make up for all the precious -time that had been lost." Of his early efforts, however, none have -survived. Tadema has no severer critic than Tadema himself, and to -this day he will not allow a picture to leave his studio until he has -made it as perfect as he knows how, so that he mercilessly destroyed -all his tentative canvases that could not yet reproduce the perfected -ideals of the master. Even in those early days the subjects belonged -either to history proper or that ancient history which is half -enveloped in myth. - -It was about this time that Tadema added the prefix Alma to the -paternal surname. Alma was the name of his godfather, and such a -proceeding was, it seems, not unusual in Holland. Tadema's reason -for taking this step was that in this wise his name in artistic -catalogues was ranged among the A's instead of further down among the -T's. Undoubtedly such apparent trifles do prove of consequence in -helping or hindering a career. - -From the Academy of Antwerp Alma Tadema passed into the studio of -Hendrick van Leys, the great Belgian archæologist and historical -painter; his teaching, coming at the moment it did, proved of great -value to Alma Tadema. Van Leys was just then busy decorating the -Grand Town Hall of Antwerp with frescoes. In this work Alma Tadema -was allowed to assist the master, and while so doing the young artist -gained knowledge that proved of immense importance to his own after -career. To van Leys' influence he owes his own historical accuracy -and his attention to detail even the most minute. It also helped him -to see objects truthfully and, what is equally important, to see them -in mass. It is true that for a time van Leys' example was somewhat -pernicious, since some of Alma Tadema's works of the period are -visibly influenced by his master's dryness and harshness of -execution. But the young man's own native bias toward rich and full -colour was too strong for any influence long to repress the -remarkable and idiosyncratic capacity that throbbed within him and -was yearning to find full expression. - -The subjects treated by van Leys in the Antwerp Guildhall were all -taken from the history of the Low Countries. It was thus that Alma -Tadema became acquainted with their early annals by which his own -first pictures were inspired. - -It was the sale of one of these, _The Education of the Children of -Clovis_, bought by the King of the Belgians, that made it possible -for the young artist to call his mother and sister to live with him -in Antwerp. This removal of his family gave Alma Tadema intense joy, -for he is one of those wholesomely constituted beings to whom family -life is an absolute necessity. In order for him to be happy and to -have his mind free to work at his congenial occupation, it is needful -to his nature that outside circumstances be calm, and that his -existence be surrounded by an atmosphere of tenderness and affection. - -Four years after joining her son, Madame Tadema died. It is sad to -think that this good parent did not live to witness her son's -world-wide fame, but pleasant to know that she still heard the praise -aroused by some of his first exhibited pictures, and to see him the -recipient of his first gold medal, that accorded to him at Amsterdam -in 1862. In 1865 Tadema married a French lady, and removed to -Brussels, where he remained until his wife's death. This occurred in -1869, when he was left alone with his sister and two little girls, -the eldest, Laurence, who has developed into a gifted writer, and the -second, Anna, the delicate, dainty artist who has inherited so much -of her father's power for reproducing detail. - -It was during the lifetime of his first wife that Alma Tadema paid -his first visit to Italy and saw with his own eyes the homes of those -Romans who were destined to become his most familiar friends. - -This journey, as might be expected, exerted a strong influence upon -his art, but it did not entirely reverse all his views and methods, -as has been the case with many other artists. The fact is that Alma -Tadema had of set purpose avoided going to Italy before this date. -On this point he had, and has always had, a very pronounced opinion. -According to him the influence of Italy is so potent, so epoch-making -in the life of an artist, that he should never go there until he is -himself mature and has already found his own road. Otherwise all he -sees in that magic land only helps to unsettle him, and hence hinders -rather than helps forward the evolutionary development of the man's -own artistic idiosyncrasy. - -And indeed Alma Tadema's opinion would seem right on this point, -though it is in direct opposition to the practice of all the art -schools and academies of the world. It is certainly strange how few -of those who gain travelling scholarships, of those who are Prix de -Rome and are sent to the Villa Medici, become great and original -artists. - -Speaking on this theme one day Tadema remarked, "Of what use is it to -try and graft a branch laden with fruit upon a sapling. If the -sapling has no trunk how is it possible to effect a graft? Rubens -followed the right principle, and so after having extracted from -foreign travel the best it could give he still remained Rubens. But -what would have happened if he had undertaken his journey -prematurely, that is to say before the artist inside him was fully -developed?" - -On another occasion Alma Tadema expressed his views on the same -subject: "It is my belief that an art student ought not to travel. -When once he has become an artist, conscious of his own aim, of his -own wants, he will certainly profit by seeing the works of the great -masters, because he will then be able to understand them, and can -then, if necessary, appropriate such things as may appear useful to -him. With one or two exceptions the Prix de Rome men are not the -foremost of their day. Meissonier, Gerome, van Leys, remained at -home till they had become consummate artists. Rembrandt never left -Amsterdam, and Rubens, when travelling through Italy, made some -sketches after Lionardo da Vinci which might pass as original Rubens, -because Rubens was already Rubens when he did them. Vandyck and -Velasquez travelled when they were already Vandyck and Velasquez, but -not before." - -The great picture dealer in those early days of Alma Tadema's art -life was the Frenchman, M. Gambart, "Prince Gambart," as he used to -be called in playful irony, for it was he who controlled and -regulated the picture market of Europe, to the immense benefit of his -own pocket. It is but fair, however, to add that he was a generous -as well as a discerning dealer. When he was visiting any city in his -commercial capacity, the whisper "Gambart is here!" would run round -all the studios, and many a plot did unknown young artists lay in -order to wile him into their workshops, and keen was the -disappointment if the great man left the city after visiting only the -studios of one or two of the most noted men, ignorant of all the -schemes and plans that had been laid to entrap him. - -The young Alma Tadema was among those who plotted to secure a visit -from the great Gambart, and he too was doomed to see his hopes -dashed. At last, however, these hopes were fulfilled. It was thanks -to van Leys, who had purposely given a wrong address to Gambart's -coachman, directed to carry his master to the studio of a painter -then much _en vogue_. Hence it came that the great dealer found -himself in front of Alma Tadema's modest studio instead. In the -doorway stood the young artist palpitating with excitement. Gambart, -who by this time had perceived his error, was too good-natured to -turn back without entering. After he had looked at the work upon the -easel in silence, he suddenly asked in brusque tones, "Do you mean to -tell me you painted this picture?" Alma Tadema bowed his -acquiescence, he was too overcome to speak. "Well," replied the -dealer, after asking the price and a few other details, "turn me out -twenty-four other pictures of this kind and I will pay for them at -progressive prices, raising the figure after each half dozen." - -This was indeed an unexpected stroke of good fortune for Alma Tadema, -who at once set to work to fulfil his commission. It was not all -plain sailing however. Gambart wished to pin down the wings of the -artist's fantasy, and it was only after long discussion and -bargaining that he permitted the painter to choose his themes from -among classical subjects instead of remaining among those of the -Middle Ages in which he had first found him engaged. - -It was thus that some of the most famous of the artist's earlier -works were included in this series ordered at so much the half dozen, -as if they had been gloves or any article of haberdashery. - -It took Alma Tadema four years to carry out Gambart's first -commission. When he was at the finish of his task, Gambart once more -appeared upon the scene. - -"I want you to paint me another twenty-four pictures," was the quaint -order given by this dealer--Maecenas again offering to remunerate -Alma Tadema at an ascending rate of payment, only this time the -starting point was a very much higher figure. - -Once more the artist consented. The first work of the new series was -the famous _Vintage_. When the dealer saw it he perceived that it -was a far more important canvas than any of its predecessors, a work, -too, that had cost the artist far more time and labour, and he at -once insisted upon paying for it the figure which was to have been -given for the last half dozen. For Gambart, despite his profession -and his bizarre ways, was liberal and generous, and perhaps he -understood too that it paid to be honest. - -Alma Tadema is fond of telling the tale how, when he had finished his -second two dozen pictures, Gambart invited him and the whole artistic -colony of Brussels to dinner. To our artist's no small surprise, he -found that it was he who was the guest of honour. In front of his -plate there shone a silver goblet bearing a most flattering -inscription, while into his table-napkin was folded a large cheque, a -sum accorded to him by Gambart beyond the stipulated price. - -An accident brought Tadema to London in 1870, and here he at once -took root. A year later he remarried, his wife this time being Miss -Laura Theresa Epps, a woman of rare beauty, and herself a painter of -distinction. - -For many years Tadema's home was in Regent's Park Road, a modest -London residence which by his ingenuity he transformed into a fairy -palace. He afterwards moved into larger quarters in Grove End Road, -where he has reared a house entirely upon his own designs that -repeats on a larger and more sumptuous scale the beauties of the -earlier residence. - -In Alma Tadema's case the environment does indeed explain the man. -His keen sense of beauty, his classic tastes, his love of flowers, -make themselves felt in every nook and corner of his abode; in the -silver-walled studio with its onyx windows, in its mosaic atrium, in -which a fountain splashes, in Lady Tadema's special room with its -oak-beamed ceiling, its Dutch panelling, its old Dutch furniture, in -its low-windowed library packed with splendid illustrated works on -artistic themes, in its pretty garden ever gay with blossoms, with -its fish pond and trellised colonnade. In almost every room can be -reconstructed the scenes of his pictures; the lustrous marble basin -in the sky-lit atrium bears upon its sloping rim a heap of withered -rose leaves, faintly recording that rich shower of fragrance which -once suggested a striking detail in the Heliogabalus picture. The -burnished brass steps appearing at frequent intervals figure over and -over again in the pictures of Roman villas and classical -environments. Perhaps one of the most striking features of this -house, which is filled with objects of priceless worth, is its -unevenness of pavement. There are such endless nooks and alcoves, -each room is conceived upon a different scale and may be lower or -higher than its immediate neighbour, and yet, most marvellous of all, -the cluster of beautiful apartments perfectly harmonize one with -another. From the oblong entrance hall, over whose fireplace runs -the greeting, - - "I count myself in nothing else so happy - As in a soul remembering my good friends", - -whose wall decorations consist in panels painted for the artist by -his friends, to the low-lying dining-room, looking upon the garden -and shaded by the great tree which it is Tadema's delight to watch in -its leaf unfolding, its full summer verdure and its winter gauntness, -all is beautiful, all is sympathetic, and all is the result of an -ardent appreciation of the artistic possibilities of the most humble -objects of domestic life. - -Through all the rooms are scattered portraits of its beautiful women -inmates, here a statue of Lady Alma Tadema, there a window into whose -delicately coloured panes are fashioned the likenesses of the quaint -little girls who have now grown to women, outside under the window of -these same daughters' room is a beautiful bit of sculptured frieze -bearing the interwoven tulips of Holland, lilies of France, and -English roses. - -The most frequent guest finds continual surprises in this house whose -every accessory is as carefully conceived as one of the details of -its master's pictures. - -Holland, Greece, London and Rome have all contributed their quota to -render this house _sui generis_, and once we have passed the postern -gate that leads from Grove End Road into the garden we instinctively -feel ourselves incorporated into another world, another clime, and -London and its squalor, its fogs and cold, are forgotten for a time. - -It is in this congenial _milieu_ that the artist works, a _milieu_ -helpful and suggestive to the special character of his art. His life -since his removal to England has been uneventful. The saying, "Happy -those who have no history" might be applied to Tadema. Hard work, -persistent study, unremitting efforts after ever greater perfection -of style and treatment, sum up Alma Tadema's artistic existence. - -[Illustration: A READING FROM HOMER.] - -He is essentially a sociable man, a lover of his kind. His work is -only interrupted by visits from friends, by weekly afternoon and -evening receptions, so charming that the entrée is greatly coveted, -by the claims upon his time as Professor at the Royal Academy and -member of the Council; demands all of which he fulfils with his -characteristic strenuousness and high sense of duty. In 1876 he -became an Associate Member of the Royal Academy, and in 1879 a Royal -Academician. In 1899 he received the well-merited honour of -knighthood at the hands of Queen Victoria. - -It is not often that Alma Tadema leaves the house to which he is -devoted, both for its beauty and because it harbours all whom he -holds dear, for he is essentially a domestic man. Occasional visits -to the English country, which he greatly admires, and rare trips to -Italy, which he naturally loves, are all the holidays he allows -himself, and even during such changes of place he does not permit -himself rest, but is ever studying fresh effects of light and colour, -fresh combinations, imbibing fresh artistic suggestions. Nothing -escapes Tadema's wide-open eyes; he is never too weary to receive a -new impression. - -As a man he has about him no trace of the pedantry which might be -anticipated from the archaic character of his work. He is generous, -genial, warm-hearted, a lover of jokes and anecdotes good and bad, a -cheery optimist, a boon companion in the best sense of that term. He -is also the truest and most faithful of friends, and the kindest and -most large-hearted of teachers. His appreciation of the works of -others is wide and sincere, and, no matter how different this work -may be from his own style and taste, he gives to it its due meed of -praise, provided it be executed with honest intent. - -London society is familiar with this wiry, strong-set figure, with -this face of kindly comeliness, with the cheery voice, with the -frank, observant eye, the merry quips and pranks, the energy, the -intense love of all that is great, and good, and lovely. To be with -him is to feel invigorated, for he seems to have so much superfluous -vitality that he is able to dispense it to his surroundings. - -Of his art he rarely speaks, and still more rarely of his -art-theories. Indeed he is no theorist, though he knows perfectly -well at what ends he aims, and his art, like his personality, is -homogeneous throughout. But it is not in his nature to analyze, he -follows his instincts, and these are true and right. "To thine own -self be true," has been his life motto, and faithfully has he served -it. - - - - -THE WORK OF ALMA TADEMA - -The first in date of Alma Tadema's preserved paintings is a cycle of -pictures dealing with Merovingian times. To these Merovingians he -was early attracted, partly perhaps because in his old home and -birthplace relics, such as coins, medals, armour belonging to that -epoch were the only antiquities the soil could boast. Added to this, -chance threw into his way Gregory of Tours' History of the Franks and -the quaint old chronicler completely captivated his fancy. From this -treasure-house of fact and fiction he drew a series of pictures -which, if no more historically correct than Gregory himself, were -nevertheless carefully pondered pieces of archæological improvisation -in which the minute studies of accessories made while still in Frisia -stood Alma Tadema in good stead. _Clotilde at the Grave of her -Grandchildren_ was an incident entirely without foundation in fact, -but one of Gregory's stories had suggested the situation, and Tadema -at once realized its dramatic and pictorial possibilities. In -treatment this canvas was still a little hard and dry, the influence -of van Leys' somewhat arid manner was too apparent. The same -criticism applies, but in a less degree, to its successor, the work -that won for Alma Tadema his first success, _The Education of the -Children of Clovis_. This, too, was inspired by the old Prankish -chronicler, and here also, as often in Alma Tadema's art, a good deal -of previous knowledge is requisite in order fully to appreciate the -composition. It cannot be denied that this is one of the -difficulties of truly understanding the painter's work. His subjects -are apt to be at times a little too archæological, a little too -literary for immediate or easy explanation. Their atmosphere is -inclined to be somewhat remote from common knowledge or interest. -Nevertheless in this canvas the tale is sufficiently told, and -already the real Alma Tadema is making himself felt in the greater -richness of the colouring and in the skilful disposition of the -figures. Quite especially free and energetic is the figure of the -eldest boy throwing his axe at the mark, and that of his teacher -looking on intently to see how his charge conducts himself during -this public exposition of his prowess. This work, which is now the -property of the King of the Belgians, was bought by the Antwerp -Society for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts for the paltry sum of -one thousand six hundred francs, an amount which at the time seemed a -large remuneration to its painter. - -This picture was followed by yet others, all inspired by the -Merovingian chronicles that had taken such a firm hold upon the -artist's imagination. In each successive picture the scheme of -colour grew fuller and warmer, the dull manner of the master van Leys -was more and more abandoned, the real Alma Tadema made himself more -and more felt. His own individuality, his own methods of conception -became manifest. This is especially the case in a picture called -_Gonthram Bose_, another of the Merovingian series. We here see Alma -Tadema already applying his peculiar capacity of filling in every -inch of the canvas, thus often giving to the tiniest space a sense of -vastness, of distance, of immensity, that renders his smallest works -such marvellous gems of concentrated beauty. Of course it took time -to learn to do this without arousing a sense of overcrowding, a fault -that occurs even in one or two of his later works, but more and more -as he advanced this danger was eliminated and the capabilities hidden -in this artifice became ever more manifest. The little figures with -which he peopled his pictures also steadily advanced in correctness -of movement and bore about them a local physiognomy that revived an -entire historical epoch in a few square inches of canvas. The whole -Merovingian period seemed incarnated in these works. - -This same capacity of resuscitating a remote historical time was yet -more pleasantly revealed when Alma Tadema at last turned from -painting these gorgeous but bloodthirsty barbarians, and applied -himself instead to the mysterious land of Egypt, the source of all -culture and all knowledge, the land he has never seen, but which he -has apprehended so wonderfully with the eye of his brain. The German -Egyptologist and novelist, George Ebers, a friend of Alma Tadema's, -to whom he dedicated one of his historical tales, once asked him what -it was that had turned him from his Franks towards the land of Isis. -Alma Tadema replied, "Where else should I have begun as soon as I -became acquainted with the life of the ancients? The first thing a -child learns of ancient history is about the Court of Pharaoh, and if -we go back to the source of art and science must we not return to -Egypt?" - -This migration to the Nile closed what may be termed Alma Tadema's -first artistic period, which embraces the ten years that lie between -1852 and 1862. In 1863 he exhibited his _Egyptians Three Thousand -Years Ago_. Here, though archæological knowledge was manifest, -Tadema did not sacrifice his picture to a pedantic display of -learning. On the contrary, it rather seemed his object to show that -these dead and gone old Egyptians, whom we are too inclined to think -of as the stiff, lifeless figures that greet us from the temples and -stone carvings of their native land, were men and women like to -ourselves. A work such as this exhibited great study, more perhaps -than that demanded by his Merovingians. But from the outset it was -evident that Alma Tadema would not covenant with prevailing fashions -in art in order to buy public favour at a cheap price. He would take -up no task which did not commend itself to his æsthetic faith, to his -individual inclination, to the particular preferences of his taste. -Never, even at the outset of his career, when financial success had -not yet come, did Alma Tadema convert his function of artist into an -easy or lucrative profession. - -In _The Mummy, The Widow, The Egyptian at his Doorway_, Tadema for -the first time applies the methods of genre painting to the treatment -of antique themes. This novel manner of dealing with archæology, -which is really of his creation, has found a large school of -imitators, none of whom, however, approach the master either for -spontaneity of conception or skill of execution. This leaning -towards genre and its application to subjects that had hitherto not -invited treatment in this manner, may probably be traced to Tadema's -Dutch origin, seeing that the Dutch were past masters in this form of -composition, which by them was chiefly used to illustrate trivial -moments of their immediate environment. - -The most remarkable of these works is the _Death of the First-born_; -indeed, Tadema ranks it as his best picture, and has never yet -accepted any offer for its purchase. It hangs permanently in his -studio, and is looked upon by his family as a priceless possession. -The date of this work is 1873, when the artist had already begun to -turn his attention to those Greco-Roman themes with which his fame -has since been so closely associated. As the picture is not familiar -to the world from reproductions, we will describe it at length. - -In this picture of the last, worst plague of Egypt, we find pathos, -despair, and that silent grief which "whispers to the o'er-fraught -heart and bids it break." - -We enter a great Egyptian temple where darkness and gloom, oppressive -in their intensity, are only relieved by the gleam of moonlight seen -through a distant doorway, and by a single lamp which makes the -surrounding shadows more deep. In the foreground is a pillar with -hieroglyphics inscribed upon it, its capital lost in the darkness -gives a strange sense of awe, but the pervading influence, the power -of the scene, is the apprehension of death which seems to rest over -the mighty columns, which fills the great temple, which bows to the -earth Pharaoh himself, for it is his first-born who lies dead before -him. Priests and musicians are gathered round lamps standing on the -floor. The priests are chanting their prayers, and the musicians are -touching strange-looking instruments. The entire effect is gloomy -and awe-inspiring in the extreme. The colouring is sombre with its -inimitable use of greens and browns. The surroundings fitly prepare -us for the central group of four persons who cluster round the figure -of the desolate king. It is one of the extraordinary effects of this -picture that the accessories strike the observer first, and in their -mournful disposition prepare him for the chief interest, although -both spiritually and actually, Pharaoh and his attendants hold the -centre of the canvas. The king sits upon a low stool, and across his -knees lies the slender body of his first-born. The dead face of the -almost nude youth is indescribably sweet, and around his neck hangs -limply a strangely-fashioned golden chain, probably bearing some -amulet to shield the king's son from harm. The king, upon whose -figure the light falls, wears his crown, the brilliant jewels of -which seem to mock his helpless grief. He sits rigid, immovable, the -strong, proud man will make no sign, but there is one feature which -even his powerful will cannot control, his mouth trembles ever so -slightly, so faintly that at first it is not distinguishable. But -what grief it expresses, this faint indistinctness of outline! This -figure might be taken as the embodiment of grief, grief fixed and -immutable, and like all true emotion, truly expressed, with not a -hint of morbidness. The mother sits near, bowed to the earth in her -sorrow. She, too, has striven to be strong, and even in this -outburst of despair, shows self-restraint. At the other side of -Pharaoh sits the physician whose powers have been useless in this -combat. Outside the temple door two figures approach. They are -Moses and Aaron coming to behold their work. - -This is a truly marvellous picture, and it is not strange that Alma -Tadema retains it in his own hands. It is so true, so complex, so -alive, that at every view, with every changing light it reveals new -features, new aspects of sorrow, and yet with its profundity of -sorrow it is not too tragic to live with. It is so true, so human, -so beautiful, and so deep, that it does not repel. About Alma -Tadema's art there is nothing false or strained; he is always -healthy, there is in his nature no strain of morbidness, and hence -whatever he paints appeals direct to the truest feelings, whether he -paints the glad, sensuous world of the ancients, or the tragedies -which befell them, there is never in his work the sickly -introspection, the hyper-analysis of modern days. Just as in his -_Tarquinius and Emperor_, Alma Tadema proved that he could express -tragedy, so here he has shown conclusively that he can express pathos -and that he is possessed of a deep imagination, which, unfortunately, -he puts forth all too rarely. Had Alma Tadema created but this one -superb work he would be among the greatest artists of our time. - -This _Death of the First-born_ is a true representation of Egyptian -life, and, as if to prove how accurate are the artist's instincts, it -is noteworthy that he placed at the feet of the dead a wreath of -flowers which strikingly resembles a like garland, found ten years -after the picture was painted, in the royal tombs of Deir el Bahari. - -Meantime however, as we have said, he had begun to paint genre -pictures of Greek and Roman life, and so numerous are these, so -rapidly did he produce them, that it is impossible in our limited -space to enumerate even the most important. We have chosen a few at -random, taking care however to select from among the most noteworthy. -One of his finest early Roman pictures is, beyond question, the -_Tarquinius Superbus_, in which Tadema has shown what tragic power he -could wield when he wished. But his general inclination leads him to -let us see his men and women merely as they present their outward -faces. He cares not to look beyond, to apprehend the informing -intention, the psychic force of his creations. - -This idiosyncrasy is based on the artist's character which is -singularly direct, and to which introspection and analytic research -is distasteful. Of quite a different character is the _Pyrrhic -Dance_, a wonderful _tour de force_. We are made to feel that these -Dorian fighters, executing a war-dance, are heavily armed, and that -it is only their skill and agility which makes their choregraphic -evolutions appear light under such heavily handicapped conditions. -Indeed, as we know from history, but few could execute with grace and -skill this "mimic warrior armour game" as Plato calls it, it might so -easily become ridiculous and it is not the least of Tadema's merits -in this canvas that he has treated it without the least touch of -exaggeration, and with a gravity and dignity that are truly admirable. - -_The Vintage_, painted just before Tadema's removal to England, is in -some respects one of his most important and most characteristic -works. It has been objected that Alma Tadema is essentially a -painter of repose. To this picture as well as to the _Pyrrhic Dance_ -this criticism cannot be applied. The first thing that strikes us as -we look at the work is the sense of motion and music which it -imparts. Another of the objections sometimes made to Alma Tadema's -work is that his men and women, but more especially his women, are -not in accordance with usually recognized classical standards. His -favourite types are rather of the heavy build that would be connected -more readily with Holland than with Rome, though in some of the -portrait busts of empresses preserved in the Vatican, and other -sculpture galleries, we see frequent precedents for this preference, -a preference that became more and more emphasized after the artist's -removal to England. In learning, in technical excellence, in the -remarkable finish of all the multitudinous details, the work is -admirable. Here, too, he has not permitted the details to distract -our attention from the main intention of the picture; we think first -and last of the procession and put the accessories, correct and -wonderfully painted though they are, into their proper artistic -place. Alma Tadema's pictures may at times seem to proclaim too -loudly the equality of all visible things, and this equal attention -to each object sometimes prevents the concentration of our attention -upon the central point of interest. It is this peculiarity which led -Ruskin to make his savage and most unfair onslaught upon the painter -in his Academy Notes of 1875. - -The _Sculpture Gallery_, a newer and more skilful version of a -previous picture on the same theme, painted in 1864, furnished the -tag upon which Ruskin hung his attack. This later _Sculpture -Gallery_ was the companion to the Picture Gallery exhibited at the -Royal Academy in 1874, which was again a sort of extension of an -earlier work called the _Roman Amateur_. In the atrium of a Roman -house, a fat swarthy Roman, a man of little distinction, no doubt a -_nouveau riche_ of his period, exhibits to his visitors a silver -statue. There is an impressive pomposity about his manner, as though -he were dilating upon the statue's intrinsic metallic worth rather -than upon its artistic merits, and his guests seem to be on the level -of his own artistic tastes. - -In the two versions of the _Sculpture Gallery_ this idea is extended. -In the first version the famous Lateran statue of Sophocles was -introduced, and indeed forms the central point of interest. Around -it are grouped three Romans, one woman and two men, evidently eagerly -discussing its artistic merits. All Tadema's fine draughtsmanship, -all his unique skill in the painting of lucent surfaces is here to -the fore. - -The second _Sculpture Gallery_ was yet more elaborate in design and -purpose. The work of art exhibited in this instance is placed within -a back shop of the epoch, the front towards the streets being -reserved for smaller and less important objects. A company of rich -amateurs has evidently sauntered in to behold the latest acquisitions -of the dealer. A colossal vase, poised upon a revolving pedestal, is -especially claiming their attention. A slave slowly turns it round -that they may view it in every light. We know him to be a slave by -the crescent-shaped token he wears suspended from his neck. The -effect of in-door and out-door illumination, and of reflected light -from the shimmering surfaces of the objects in the shop is rendered -with scientific accuracy and rare technical ability. Full of -ingenious and most difficult light effects, too, is the _Picture -Gallery_, in which we see a crowd of noble Roman dames and knights -admiring the triptychs of the period wherewith the walls are hung and -the easels loaded. - -This theme, with considerable variants, had been treated once before -by Tadema. Indeed, he is fond of repeating his initial idea in -different shape. This time the work is called _Antistius Labeon_. -It represents an amateur Roman painter, a contemporary of Vespasian, -showing off his latest productions to the friends who have dropped -into his studio. It seems, so Tadema tells us, that the gentleman -painter, who was a Roman pro-consul, was rather looked down upon by -his contemporaries for his amateur tastes. It was thought -gentlemanly in those days to admire art but not to practise it, an -idea that even in early Victorian days we find not quite extinct. - -[Illustration: AT THE SHRINE OF VENUS.] - -It was on these two fine works, _The Sculpture Gallery_ and _The -Picture Gallery_, that Alma Tadema's world-wide reputation was first -based. A great continental dealer bought them, and as engravings as -well as in the widely exhibited originals they became familiar to all -lovers of the beautiful. From this time onward Alma Tadema could not -paint fast enough to satisfy the demands made upon his brush; but -this success only increased the rigidity of the demands he made upon -himself. The more successful Alma Tadema has been, the more -conscientious has he become, a rare quality, and one that cannot be -too highly praised or too much admired. His passionate love of -colour, a passion that seems to have grown upon him as time passed, -and as he abandoned more and more his earlier drier manner, found -expression after his election as associate to the Royal Academy in a -number of small but most perfect little canvases that often dealt -with nothing in particular, and to which the artist was at times -embarrassed to give names, or whose titles, when found, were not -specially distinctive, but which each in their kind was a perfect gem -of technique of radiant tints. And after all, why need a picture -have a name, _à tout prix_? Whistler was not so wrong when he -labelled some of his works as "Symphonies" and "Harmonies" of colour. -Such titles would best describe many of Alma Tadema's smaller colour -creations. - -And now, his own line fully found, Tadema worked on steadily, without -haste or pause. In a _milieu_ far distant indeed from the scene of -their creation, a London atmosphere, a London sky, he caused to live -again for a while in effigy the men and maidens of Magna Graecia, of -Rome, of Parthenope, and above all of Sicily, for Tadema's out-door -scenes are too southern in feeling and in tone even for the furthest -shores of the Peninsula, and belong by rights to the Syren isle. -Here alone are found the unclouded sapphire skies, the seas -sun-bathed and innocent of angry waves, the luxuriant vegetation, the -mad wealth of roses that seem to spring by magic from Tadema's brush, -and are the outcome of his fervid imagination that can behold these -things with his mental vision while fog and grim winter are raging -outside. It is one of Tadema's rare and precious gifts that he can -see his picture finished before he has put brush to canvas. It is -this gift which makes it unnecessary for him to execute the usual -amount of sketching, indeed, Tadema may be said not to sketch at all; -it is this that lends to his hand his rare security, and this that -helps towards his precision of execution. Everything is clearly, -sharply outlined in his art. His canvases show no quiet, slumberous -distances, no mysterious twilights of life or nature. All is -evident, all is distinct, all sharply defined as in the meridional -landscape that he loves, and all this is rendered with that accuracy, -with those small touches of extreme sharpness, which recall the -precise methods of his Dutch pictorial ancestors. These are merits, -but they are merits that also contain hidden within their excellence -the germs of what by some may be considered as defects. There is apt -to be a lack of repose about a picture of Alma Tadema's, our eye is -not necessarily led at once to the central purpose of the work, each -action seems of equal importance, and is painted in the same scheme -of values. - -As an example of Alma Tadema's painstaking, and of how he lets no -trouble or expense stand in the way of making his pictures just as -perfect as possible, it may be mentioned that during the whole of the -winter when he was at work on his _Heliogabalus_ the artist sent -twice a week for boxes of fresh roses from the Riviera. Thus each -flower may be said to have been painted from a different model. - -Only once in his life did Alma Tadema paint a life-size nude figure. -This was the work called _A Sculptor's Model_. It was inspired by -the Venus of the Esquiline, then but lately unearthed; the painter's -intention was to show, as far as possible, the conditions under which -such a masterpiece might have been created. It was also painted as a -model for his pupil John Collier, one of the very few pupils whom -Alma Tadema has ever received into his studio. - -It should be mentioned that Alma Tadema at times paints in water -colours as well as in oils, a medium he manipulates most -successfully, and which lends itself most admirably to his limpid -effects of sea and sky. He has also of late years taken to portrait -painting. His wonderfully careful technique has here full play, and -the perfection of finish fills us with admiration. But, despite -their merits, it is hard to think of these portraits as Alma -Tadema's; with his name, whether we will or no, we are forced to -associate blue skies, placid seas, spring flowers, youths and maidens -in the heyday of life, and a sense of old-world happiness and -distance from our less beautiful modern existence and surroundings. - - - - -THE ART OF ALMA TADEMA - -It is fortunately not possible to define with real precision the -position Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema occupies in art, since happily he -is still living and working among us--and long may he so live to turn -out yet other scores of sun-filled joyous canvases, speaking to a -weary and hard-driven generation, of vanished and more placid times, -when existence was less restless and more æsthetically conceived! -Nor, though he has had imitators by the dozen, is it as yet possible -to determine the exact nature of the influence he has exerted upon -the art of his age, for with rare exceptions these imitators have -turned out frigid, lifeless works that bear the same relation to the -master's style and manner as oleographs bear to original paintings. -Neither is it quite possible to classify Alma Tadema's manner. A -number of influences, partly extraneous, or accidental, partly the -result of birth and atavism, have resulted in causing his art to be -_sui generis_. If he must be classed at all, although a much younger -man, he might be grouped with those artists who came to the fore on -the continent soon after the upheaving epoch of 1848, men who -endeavoured to revive the more intimate life of Greece and Rome upon -their canvas, and who in France went by the name of neo-Greeks or -Pompeists. This trend was a reaction from the older classical school -that was headed by Jacques Louis David, whose productions were -distinguished by a certain austere dignity of conception, by -elaborate accuracy of form, but, on the other hand, were generally -cold and unreal in sentiment, unpleasantly monotonous in colouring, -and defective in their arrangement of light and shade. - -It has been most felicitously remarked, that if David may be named -the Corneille of the Roman Empire, Alma Tadema may be said to be its -Sardou. He has made his ancients more living, he has resuscitated -them with less visible effort; he seems to have an instinctive -comprehension of antiquity. His is not the Rome of Ingres, of -Poussin, of grand public ceremonies, of battles, of the Forum and the -rostrum, of actions that upheaved the world; he gives us instead the -home life of this people, Rome such as we divine it to have been from -Cicero's letters to Atticus, the life of the ancients as presented to -us in the plays of Terence and Plautus. It is not mere historical -painting that he aims at, indeed his art bears the same relation to -history as does the anecdote to serious narrative, a lighter species -which nevertheless often throws a brighter light upon the past than -scores of learned tomes. And this result is largely achieved by his -love of detail, which causes him to crowd his canvas with masses of -those authentic bibelots which ancient and recent excavations and the -aid of photography have brought within the reach of all. - -The elder classical painters thought to render their work more truly -classical by placing their protagonists in large empty monumental -spaces, just as Corneille and Racine thought to give the true -classical ring to their plays when they removed them from every-day -emotions, and rolled out high-sounding and rhetorical phrases. Alma -Tadema, instead, is convinced that these dead-and-gone folk were in -all fundamental essentials like to ourselves, that they lived, loved, -joked and chattered just as we do, and this conviction has found -expression in his pictures that deal less and less with the graver, -grander moments of their existence, and more with the petty intimate -details of their home life. His pictures might almost be said to be -a series of instantaneous reproductions of the life of the Roman -patricians. The plebs have no interest for him, they rarely figure -in his canvases, and when they do their figures are entirely -subordinate. The Roman of Alma Tadema's pictures abides in a world -of idle luxury, in which nothing matters much unless it ministers to -sensuous enjoyment. It is the outward seeming of life and objects -that attracts him, their inner deeper meaning matters to him as -little as their subject. The life aim of his men and women seems to -be to exist happily and placidly, untroubled by material cares or -disturbing emotions. - -In his method of composing his pictures Alma Tadema's manner is also -the absolute antithesis of what is commonly regarded as the classic -method. So far is he from putting his principal personages well into -the middle of his canvas, from following a pyramidal arrangement, -that in his effort to be natural and unconventional, he even at times -commits extravagances in order to escape from the beaten path, as, -for example, in his portrait of Dr. Epps, in which there are shown -one head and a bust, no arms, but three hands, the third being that -of the unseen patient whose pulse the physician is supposed to feel. -This is an extreme instance, but a tendency to dismember his figures, -to show us only half a figure, a detached head, a hand without a -body, a foot without a visible leg, occurs every now and again, and -not certainly to the detriment of a realistic effect, but most -certainly to the detriment of composition as classically understood. -This tendency, no doubt, results from his love of Japanese art, an -art that has had a visible influence upon his methods of disposing -his composition. Indeed, it might almost be said that Alma Tadema -does not compose his pictures at all. He certainly does not do so -according to the ordinary acceptance of the term in art, he rather -disposes his personages about his canvas, apparently at hazard, much -as they might group themselves in real life. But under this seeming -negligence, is hidden great care, immense painstaking, a striving to -give to his pictures their maximum of expressive force, for in Alma -Tadema's work, everything as well as every person, has its suggestive -purpose. As M. de la Sizeranne has well said, few painters have less -of that element which in the jargon of the studio is known as _poids -mort_. But this very merit causes his pictures to lack -concentration. There is no point on which our eye fixes at once as -the central, most important, and the meaning of the whole may often -be hidden in some accessory that the ordinary observer is apt to -overlook. Thus, for example, in one of his Claudius series is seen, -poised on a cippus, a head of Augustus, dominating as it were the -whole bloody, rowdy, undignified scene. How many who see the work -have remarked that the bust is turned toward a picture that -represents a naval engagement, and that underneath this picture is -written the single word "Actium," suggestive of a vast antithesis. -Subtle little touches such as these often render Alma Tadema's more -important works a puzzle to those unversed in classic lore, and -oblige us to class him, if classed he must be, among the erudite -artists whose roots are planted in the soil of literature. Yet, -surely, if there exists a domain where erudition should take a -secondary place it is that of art, which shares with poetry the high -privilege of soaring so high as to have the right to disdain the mere -minutiae of history, the petty details of life. - -Happily, Alma Tadema is saved from being a cold, unattractive -antiquarian painter by his rare keen sense of beauty, and here again -we come in contact with the difficulty of ranging him as we might -range his pseudo-classic brethren. The spectator who misses the -allusions, the meaning of his subject-pictures, nevertheless finds -matter for full and intense enjoyment as he contemplates the lovely -fabrics, the cool half-shades, the clear sunlight, the exquisite -flowers, the heat-saturated sea and sky, the marbles and the -bric-à-brac that appear on almost every canvas, and are painted with -a skill, a consummate science that captivates the connoisseur, and -with a reality that delights the uninstructed crowd. - -Briefly, Alma Tadema's double nationality, his Dutch birth, his long -English residence, coupled with his classic tastes, his admiration -for the Japanese, have contributed to render his art a curious -complex of conflicting tendencies, tendencies that in themselves are -again welded into a harmonious whole by the idiosyncrasy of the man. -We seem to feel, even through the medium of his pictures, his -kind-heartedness, his quick appreciation of all that is good and -beautiful, his dislike of mystery, of vain searchings in dark mental -places, his love of sunshine, moral and real. Others might paint his -portraits as well, but none can paint those exquisite southern idylls -of which such numbers have issued from his brush and brain. He has -been called the painter of repose. I should rather be inclined to -style him the painter of gladness, of the joy of life. The artistic -world has certainly been rendered the sunnier by his works. - - - - -OUR ILLUSTRATIONS - -Amongst the many famous and popular pictures by Alma Tadema it is a -little difficult to know which to select, and our object has been to -make a representative collection, while avoiding those which are -already familiar to all through the windows of the print shops. A -work that shows him in one of his most tragic moments, a mood he does -not often exhibit, for this master of sunny nature prefers to paint -sunny themes, is the _Ave Caesar! Iò Saturnalia!_ The story of -Caligula's tragic ending and the election of Claudius as Emperor -seems to have had a curious attraction for the artist. He painted -the theme three times, though with considerable variants, first as -the _Claudius_, then as _The Roman Emperor_, and finally, and in its -finest version, as the _Ave Caesar! Iò Saturnalia!_ - -The first of the series on the subject simply styled _Claudius_ -though full of life, solemnity and graphic force, was surpassed by -its successors, into which the artist infused more of his wonderful -genius for archæological indivination. This first Claudius belonged -to a set of pictures ordered from Alma Tadema by the dealer M. -Gambart. - -The second, _The Roman Emperor_, was painted after his removal to -London. In this new version Alma Tadema also adopted a scheme of -colour that was absolutely new to him, to the consternation, it is -said, of some of his clients, who saw in this departure an alarming -tendency towards pre-Raphaelitism. According to them it was -distinctly unfair to the public for this artist to change his style. -Where were the white marbles, the dresses of pale, soft tints to -which they were accustomed in his canvases? Here he had boldly -introduced a girl of the Roman people with hair of pure copper tints, -and even the corpse was clad in a dress of brilliant blue and vivid -purple, while the purity of the marble pavement was stained not only -with the blood of the slain, but was also a confusion of restless -coloured mosaics that distracted the eye from the picture's main -purpose. Criticism waxed hot around this canvas which seemed to -threaten a revolution in the artist's methods. - -But it was only a passing phase and proved of no real import. Alma -Tadema's pictures continued as before to be distinguished by a -certain calm and majestic solemnity, such as suits best the Roman -people whom by choice he represented. Still this third and finest -version of the Claudius story can scarcely be classed among his -calmer works. It is dramatic and full of movement. For brilliant -colouring, for vigorous drawing, for its admirable archæological -verity this picture is distinguished even among Alma Tadema's many -distinguished works. Note too that it is painted in proportions so -small as would hardly suffice a latter-day Italian artist for the -depicting of a cauliflower. But Alma Tadema, far from thinking that -a canvas must be large in proportion to the importance of his -subject, is of the opinion that minute dimensions tend to excite the -imagination and give to a work a more poetic and ideal character. - - -[Illustration: "AVE CÆSAR! IO SATURNALIA."] - -In this _Ave Caesar! Iò Saturnalia!_ we look upon the man whose -supposed imbecility saved him from the cruel fate to which Caligula -subjected his relations, found by the soldiery in a corner of the -palace where he had hid himself in his dread, a hiding place whence -the Praetorians dragged him forth and proclaimed him their ruler. We -see the elected Emperor, his face blanched with terror, holding for -support to the curtain which has lately hid his trembling form from -the pursuing soldiers and the populace. These ironically salute him -as Imperator. Especially obsequious and excellent in rendering is -the figure of the guard who has drawn aside the heavy drapery. A -confused heap of corpses, all that is left of those who have been -slain in defence of their murdered master, litter the marble -pavement. Above them, laurel crowned, smile down in marble -indifference the portrait busts of other Caesars now dead and gone to -their account. In the far corner is huddled the populace mingled -with the lance-bearing soldiers. They are sarcastically amused by -Claudius's undignified election to the great Roman throne. Tragedy -and comedy are most felicitously fused. Furthermore, wonderful -though the details be, as they always are with Alma Tadema, in this -case the accessories do not withdraw our attention for one moment -from the human interest. Marbles and draperies, metals and flowers, -though so perfectly rendered, take their natural place in the -composition without detracting from the central interest. - -And yet how exquisite in their archæological and æsthetic perfection -are these accessories. No wonder that in a picture from Alma -Tadema's hand we look quite as much for the marbles, the hangings, -the stuffs, the mosaics, the trees, and the flowers, as for the faces -of his creations. It would almost seem at times as though he had -painted these accessories with even more care than he bestowed upon -his men and women, as if they interested him more. Indeed, where -flowers are concerned Alma Tadema seems to give to them an inner -life, a very physiognomy, his flowers are inimitable, both as -suggestions and as realities. Even in the choice made it is quite -remarkable how there is always a peculiar fitness to the picture's -theme. Is there not, for example, to note but a few instances, a -tragic impress about the poppy beds in his picture of _Tarquinius -Superbus_? Have not his red and pink oleanders a bloom and blush as -fitting as that on the faces of the young lovers they shade? Do not -the cypresses and the stone pines in his _Improvisatore_ adumbrate -all the solemn mournfulness of a Roman garden? Is there not a -sensual note in the prodigality of roses that inundates his -_Heliogabalus_? Are they not almost arch in his _Love's Missile_, in -_Shy_, to name but a few of the many pictures in which trees and -flowers figure as the very embodiment of the summer of life and -nature. - -Indeed, so exquisitely, so superbly painted are these flowers that in -some of Alma Tadema's minor pictures they actually assume the upper -hand, though of course unconsciously to the painter, and become the -protagonists in the composition. There is one picture which he calls -simply _Oleanders_, showing that he recognized himself how the -flowers had impressed his imagination and gained precedence over the -human beings with whom they were associated. Tadema's flowers are -very poems, and had he painted nothing but these he would have been a -great artist. - - -[Illustration: SPRING.] - -It was of course inevitable that when he chose _Spring_ as his theme -the composition should be rich in the delineation of such blossoms. -In this picture all the perfumed profusion of a southern May is -summed up within the space of one little canvas. A bevy of matrons, -maidens and children precedes what was probably an ecclesiastical -procession. They wend their way through the marble-paved streets of -Imperial Rome to some temple shrine, therein to celebrate the rites -of joy due to the newly awakened season. Flower-crowned are the fair -human blossoms, flower-laden their garments, flower-filled the -"offering-platters" they are about to lay on the altar of the god. -The house-tops, those fair flat house-tops of Southern Italy, the -spaces between the columns, the loggias and the porticoes, are -crowded with eager spectators. These, too, are flower-wreathed and -flower-laden. Joy-filled, spring-intoxicated, they rain down upon -the gay procession beneath, posies and blossoms in glad and -multi-coloured abundance. Marble and flowers, sunshine and blue -skies, all life's gladness is here embodied by a painter's loving -brush. - -And how easy it all looks. We feel as if the painter had just thrown -all this lovely profusion with rapid hand upon the canvas. But those -who have the privilege of knowing Alma Tadema intimately and have -watched the genesis of his pictures, watched them as they grow from -under his brush, know how long and patiently he worked at this very -canvas which gives an effect of spontaneity as though created _d'un -seul jet_. Again and again did he scrape down his work, erasing -recklessly the most exquisite little figures, the most perfectly -modelled heads, because they failed to satisfy the exigencies of the -painter. Hence in this finished form the _Spring_ represents the -work of two or three pictures. And this is constantly the case in -Alma Tadema's paintings. From each canvas has been erased some gem, -under each picture is hidden some exquisite detail, painted over -regardlessly by the artist; no matter how lovely it may be in itself, -if it fails to fit into the _ensemble_ it is always destroyed. Hence -there is in his pictures no corner or space that is neglected or -hastily blocked in. All is as perfect as he knows how to make it, -and I have heard him say, not rarely, that a little glimpse of sky, -some little peep into the open, has given him as much labour as the -entire picture. - -For this excessive scrupulousness, this difficulty to be satisfied -with his own work Alma Tadema has often been criticised by critics. -Quite unjustly so, surely. Without this quality half of his power -would be absent. It is due to this great attention to detail, this -ceaseless searching after ever greater perfection, that Alma Tadema -has made for himself a style of his own. Thus, for example, when he -perceived that his colouring was too sombre, he reformed it by dint -of diligence and care. He has never deceived himself regarding his -own limitations--for who has not limitations, even among the -greatest?--nor has he ever juggled with his æsthetic conscience. - -An emancipation from the conventional codes that is almost Japanese -is another feature of his work. Alma Tadema does not hesitate to -show us some of his personages as standing half outside the canvas, -or cut through mid-body, or strangely placed in corners, or at the -edge of the composition. Neither does he deem it needful that the -principal action, as laid down by academic canons, should be placed -in the very centre of the picture. It is this that gives the unusual -note to many of his compositions, that was unusual in the days when -they were still unknown, for since those days his work has been -subjected to that imitation which the old proverb tells us is the -sincerest form of flattery. - - -[Illustration: AN AUDIENCE AT AGRIPPA's.] - -Sterner and more stately than _Spring_, indeed grand in its -conception and execution, is _An Audience at Agrippa's_, in which a -whole historic epoch is crystallized and rendered concrete. Here -fidelity to archæological truth has but enhanced the importance of -the scene and helped to throw it into prominence; nor are the details -unduly emphasized to the detriment of the whole. In some respects -this is one of Tadema's best conceived and most satisfactorily -executed pictures. From an atrium on a high level, down a broad -flight of steps, majestically descends Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, the -greatest and mightiest burgher of his day. He is clad in imperial -red, and stands out marvellously against the white marble of the -stairs. His face is set with a look of stern determination that -speaks of unbending will. He is followed by a crowd of persons, some -of whom are still bowing, though Agrippa has passed by. Upon the -landing at the bottom of the stairs--a marvel of blue mosaics with a -tiger skin lying across it--there is a table. On this stands a -silver Mars and materials for writing, for the use of two scribes -standing behind it. Note the character in these heads, the -close-cropped hair that denotes their servile rank, the cringing -salute, each trying to outbid the other in humility of manner. Just -before these figures, at the foot of the staircase, stands the -world-famed Vatican statue of Augustus Imperator, the only man whose -supremacy proud Agrippa would acknowledge, his device being, "To obey -in masterly fashion, but obedience to one person only." Below this -statue, where the staircase seems to turn at the landing, is another -group. These three suitors, father, son, and daughter, are about to -render a gift to accompany their petition, for they know it is well -to conciliate even the wealthy with gifts. Behind the whole shimmers -one of those wonderful effects of light and sky that Tadema rarely -fails to introduce. Like his Dutch ancestors, he is never happy -unless he can get some peep into the open through a window or a -terrace. He welcomes any device by which is accomplished an outlet -to the sky, producing thus an enhanced sense of space and atmosphere. - -The greater part of this picture was painted in 1875, when the artist -spent the winter in Rome, being driven out of England by the wreck of -his lovely house in Regent's Park. I well remember those days in the -Eternal City, and one little incident connected with this picture -illustrates a delightful trait in Alma Tadema's character and his -naive enjoyment of his own work. He had finished the tiger skin -which lies at the foot of the stairs, and in his delight over its -successful achievement, he asked me in boyish glee, "Don't you see -him wag his tail?" - - -Even in the indoor picture called _An Earthly Paradise_ (see -_frontispiece_), the sense of atmosphere and space is not absent. -The tale is here told with direct simplicity, a young mother adoring -her firstborn as mothers have done since time began. The dress, the -furniture, the surroundings are classic, the sentiment is of all -times and all ages. - - -_A Reading from Homer_ (see illustration, p. 16) reproduces some of -Tadema's favourite devices,--a marble semicircular bench, a distant -glimpse of tranquil sapphire seas, lustrous garments, and -flower-wreathed characters. With eager enthusiasm the reader seated -on his chair recites from a roll of papyrus that rests upon his -knees. Of his four auditors only the woman, daffodil-wreathed, sits -upon the marble exedra. One hand rests upon a tambourine, beside -which is flung a bunch of flowers. The other holds that of a youth -who sits upon the ground beside her. His other hand touches a lyre -idly, but without sound, his entire interest is centred upon the -reciter, whose words he follows with the eyes of his soul and of his -intellect. Yet another youth lies prone upon the marble floor, his -chin resting upon his hand. He, too, gazes in entranced wonder as he -listens to the immortal verses of the Hellenic bard. On the left -stands another figure, also flower-garlanded and wrapped in a toga. -His face reveals that his, too, is a keen appreciation of the power -of the words being recited. Rarely has even Tadema's magic brush -painted a more luminous work, so suggestive of sunlight, so truly -transfigured and remote from life's grosser moments. Here, too, his -flesh treatment is above his own high average. The modelling of the -woman's figure and of the lover is especially fine. - -It seems incredible, and yet it is true, that this composition, a -large one for Alma Tadema, with its five figures and innumerable -accessories, was entirely painted in the brief space of two months. -Still, though completed in so short a time, the preliminary studies, -including an abandoned picture, which was to have been called -_Plato_, filled eight months of close application. - - -[Illustration: SAPPHO.] - -Not unlike in general treatment and in general purpose to the -_Reading from Homer_ is the picture simply entitled _Sappho_. In -order to properly comprehend this work, however, some knowledge of -the life story of the Greek poetess is required. Not a few visitors -to the Royal Academy, where the picture was exhibited, imagined, with -pardonable inaccuracy, that the seated figure playing the lute, and -which certainly, at first sight, seems the most prominent, filled the -title role. Instead, this is Alcaeus, the man who desired to gain -the support of the mighty and gifted Sappho, for a political scheme -of which he was the chief promoter. But besides being a political -rhymer, Alcaeus was also Sappho's lover, and as he is here rendered, -it is the lover who is most emphasized. Sappho herself sits behind a -species of desk, on which rests the wreath, bound with ribands, that -was the crown of poets. She is robed in pale green and gray, and in -accordance with tradition, her raven black hair is filleted with -violets. Beside her stands a young girl, her daughter, a sweetly -graceful form, less lovely than the mother, but suggestive of -maidenhood's enchantments. The poetess is seated on the lowest tier -of the marble triple-rowed exedra, on which, at a respectful -distance, are also disposed some of the pupils of her school. Dark, -wide-branched fir trees spread their crowns above this bench. We are -made to realize that their trunks are rooted far below, there where -the deep blue sea, shimmering in the background, laps the earth that -supports this scene. Through the branches is seen the sky, a sky of -purest sapphire, a blue distinct from that of the tideless tranquil -ocean, but no less glorious or intense. Nowhere perhaps better than -here has Tadema reproduced the effects of summer seas and skies in -their brilliant ardour, their palpitating delicacy of hue and -texture. The very air that pervades the picture is hot and light, -saturated and quivering with the quickening pulsation of a southern -sun. - - -The intimate life of the Roman women has often attracted Alma -Tadema's brush. We see this again and again in _Well-protected -Slumber_, in _Quiet Pets_, in _Departure_, the scene suggested by -Theocritus's fifteenth Idyll, in _The Bath_, in _Apodyterium_ (or -women's disrobing-room), and it is also accentuated in the _Shrine of -Venus_, a scene in a Roman hairdresser's shop. This picture was -exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1889, where it attracted -considerable attention, not only because of the perfection of its -painting, the beauty of marbles and metals and textiles, the richness -of its soft, full colour, its yellows and blues, but because of the -masterly skill with which the human figures were painted (see -illustration, p. 32). - -Two beautiful young girls, one awaiting her turn to be _coiffée_, -caressing the masses of her thick, dark, loosened hair, the other -already dressed, lingering to gossip with her friend, are reclining -on a marble bench. These are so entirely absorbed in their own -beauty that they pay but slight attention to the entrance of a tall, -simply attired matron, who, glancing inquiringly in their direction, -passes on to an inner apartment. In sweeping by she has carelessly -plucked one from a mass of blossoms heaped upon a coloured marble -table in the outer shop, and her hand, holding the flower, falls -heavily beside the warm white folds of her gown. At the open lunette -shop window, exposing to view coils and twists of hair, some -attendants are distributing vases and lotions to the customers, whose -heads appear above the marble balustrade, on which stands a deep blue -vase, encrusted with exquisite enamel figures. The figure of the -attendant who is reaching down an alabaster pot is especially -graceful and free in poise. - -Although the marble screen, surmounted by fluted columns, and the -lunette window are sliced off at the top, the picture gives no -impression of confinement. This sense of space is increased by the -rim of a marble basin in the immediate foreground, the reclining -figures which lower the eye level, and the skilful introduction -through the open window, above the heads of the passers-by, of the -entrance columns and intricate façade of an adjoining building. The -triangle of blue sky and the blue glass vase standing out against the -distant columns of the building across the square form one of Alma -Tadema's many happy combinations. - - -In some respects the most important picture painted by Alma Tadema of -late years is called _The Coliseum_, which excited wondering praise -for its masterly handling, its colour scheme, its archæological -knowledge, when exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1896. Attached to -the title in the catalogue was this motto from Lord Byron's "Don -Juan" that gave the keynote to that which the artist desired to -express: - - "And here the buzz of eager nations ran - In murmured pity, or loud-roared applause, - As man was slaughtered by his fellow man, - And wherefore slaughtered, wherefore, but because - Such were the bloody circus' genial laws, - And the Imperial pleasure. Wherefore not?" - -Dominating the whole picture, and occupying more than half of its -canvas, is the huge Flavian Amphitheatre colloquially known -throughout the whole world as _the_ Coliseum. Even in the title -therefore in this case the inanimate object takes the first place, -relegating to a secondary rank the human interest. Very wonderfully -does the artist convey to our eyes a sense of the gigantic bulk and -height of the huge Amphitheatre, and with accurate archæological -knowledge has he reconstructed its form upon his canvas. Here are -its two tiers of arcades, whose arches, we learn from the evidence of -tradition, inscriptions and ancient coins, were filled, as in the -painting, with groups of colossal white marble statues. Above these -arcades rose a series of pilasters, and above these again, supported -on the topmost parapet, were stout poles that held the velarium or -canvas awning which sheltered from the sun or rain the thousands of -spectators gathered to witness the bloody deeds which took place in -the arena below. These supporting poles stand out distinct against -the glowing sky, a sky always introduced if possible by Alma Tadema. -The hour chosen is late afternoon, when from out the Amphitheatre -pour the thousands who have lately thronged the tiers upon tiers of -seats that surrounded the arena, high functionaries and proletariat, -tender-born ladies and women of the market-place, all equally eager -to witness the orgies of blood that were here enacted. Outside the -broad walk that encircled the Amphitheatre stood the famous Baths of -Titus, second only in magnificence to the Coliseum itself. Alma -Tadema has imagined for it a balcony of white marble, raised high -above the road. On its parapet stand tall wide-mouthed sculptured -vases, connected together with thick festoons of yellow daffodils -proving that the season of the year is Alma Tadema's favourite one of -early spring. A nude bronze statue of a nymph wreathing her tresses, -in accordance with the usages of the Baths, crowns the parapet of the -balcony. Around her feet too, are twined the wreaths of yellow -flowers that give such a sunny note to the whole scheme of colour. -Two ladies and a child have taken up their station on this festively -decorated parapet, evidently come thither to witness some spectacle -of quite unusual importance that has called to the arena not only the -populace, but even the Consul himself, who, preceded by his clients, -and attended by his lictors, is seen issuing from the main exit of -the Coliseum, which was almost in front of the Baths. To keep the -way clear for the grandees, some guards are roughly pushing back the -dense crowd that is packed on either side of the roadway. Yet -another crowd is issuing from the side door of the Coliseum. This -mob is chiefly composed of plebs, though among them are mingled -palanquin bearers plying for hire. Yet further off again is seen the -Arch of Constantine and the famous goal known as the Meta Sudans. - -[Illustration: THE COLISEUM.] - -It is not quite evident what it is that chiefly interests these lady -spectators. We are told that the dark-haired and elder of the two is -the little girl's mother. For safety's sake she plucks at the -child's gown for fear the little one in her excitement should fall -over the low parapet. The younger lady is more eager in her -interest. She, who is supposed to be the child's governess, has -evidently recognized some one, friend or lover, in the crowd -immediately below to whom the child is excitedly pointing. The -"Athenæum," when describing this picture on its first exhibition, -wrote concerning it: - -"It would be difficult to do justice to the breadth, brilliance and -homogeneity (in spite of its innumerable details) of this splendid -picture. The painting of the minutest ornaments, the folds of the -ladies' garments, even the huge festoons we have referred to, and the -delicate sculptor's work of the vases and mouldings on the balcony -are equally noteworthy. Even more to be admired are the faces, of -which that of the maiden in blue is undoubtedly the sweetest and -freshest of all Mr. Alma Tadema's imaginings. Her companion (the -more stately matron) who wears a diadem of silver in her black hair, -illustrates a pure Greek type of which the painter has given us -several examples, but none so fine as this one, which is very -skilfully relieved against the peacock fan of gorgeous colours which -she holds in her hand. It is easy to imagine that in her noble -spirit some thought of the victims of the Amphitheatre arose, which -explains the painter's intention in choosing the motto of the -Coliseum." - -The picture is certainly in every respect worthy of Alma Tadema's -high reputation and is a perfect example of his style, a brilliant -work, true and complete in every touch. - - - - - THE PRINCIPAL PICTURES - - BY - - SIR LAWRENCE ALMA TADEMA - - WITH THE NAMES OF THEIR OWNERS AS - FAR AS CAN BE ASCERTAINED - - - Clotilde at the Tomb of Her Grandchildren. _M. Jules Verspreeuwen._ - Education of the Children of Clovis. _H.M. King of the Belgians._ - Venantius. _A. G. Hill, Esq._ - Fortunatus and Radegonda. _A. G. Hill, Esq._ - Gonthran Bose. _A. G. Hill, Esq._ - Egyptians Three Thousand Years Ago. _J. Dewhurst, Esq._ - The Chess-players. _Sir Henry Thompson._ - The Egyptian at His Doorway. _Sir Henry Thompson._ - The Mummy. _John Foster, Esq._ - Agrippina with the Ashes of Germanicus. _N. G. Clayton, Esq._ - A Roman Family. _John Pender, Esq._ - Lesbia. _The Marquis de Santurce._ - Entrance to a Roman Theatre. _John Straker, Esq._ - Roman Dance. _John Straker, Esq._ - The Discourse. _Henry Mason, Esq._ - Glaucus and Nydia. _The Marquis de Santurce._ - Claudius. _The Marquis de Santurce._ - Tarquinius Superbus. _Sir Henry Thompson._ - The Visit to the Studio. _M. X. Puttermans Bonnefoy._ - Phidias and the Elgin Marbles. _D. Price, Esq._ - The Siesta. _M. Gambart._ (?) - A Roman Amateur. _The Marquis de Santurce._ - The Convalescent. _Hon. W. F. D. Smith, M.P._ - Confidences. _F. W. Cosens, Esq._ - The Pyrrhic Dance. _C. Gassiot, Esq._ - The Chamberlain of Sesostris. _H. Hilton Phillipson, Esq._ - A Visit. _W. Houldsworth, Esq._ - In the Peristyle. _C. R. Fenwick, Esq._ - The Silver Statue. The Marquis de Santurce. - A Soldier of Marathon. _Alfred Harris, Esq._ - Exedra. _The Marquis de Santurce._ - The Wineshop. _R. Christy, Esq._ - Tibullus at Delia's. _M. Gambart._ (?) - A Juggler. _The Marquis de Santurce._ - The First Whisper. _James Hall, Esq._ - The Vintage Festival. _Baron Schroeder._ - Hush. _Mariano de Murrieta, Esq._ - Une Fete Intime. _The Marquis de Santurce._ - The Widow. _M. Gambart._ (?) - The Improvisatore. _Alfred Harris, Esq._ - The Death of the First-born. _Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema._ - The Nurse. _Baron Schroeder._ - Fishing. _Baron Schroeder._ - The Siesta. _W. Lee, Esq._ - Between Hope and Fear. _T. G. Sandeman, Esq._ - After the Dance. _H. F. Makins, Esq._ - At Lesbia's. _W. J. Newall, Esq._ - Cherry Blossom. _Wilberforce Bryant, Esq._ - Hide and Seek. _John Fielden, Esq._ - Pleading. _C. Gassiot, Esq._ - The Kitchen Garden. _W. Lee, Esq._ - The Bath. _Baron Schroeder._ - Pandora. _Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours._ - The Garland Seller. _A. D. Halford, Esq._ - Balneatrix. _H. F. Morton, Esq._ - A Roman Artist. _H. J. Carr, Esq._ - A Garden Altar. _A. Macdonald, Esq._ - The First Reproach. _H. Hilton Phillipson, Esq._ - The Last Roses. _Sir James Joicey, Bart. M.P._ - On the Steps of the Capitol. _Baron Schroeder._ - The Sculptor. _John Foster, Esq._ - Grecian Wine. _The Marquis de Santurce._ - Cleopatra. _Sir Henry Thompson._ - The Question. _D. Price, Esq._ - Fregonda at the Death-bed of Praetextatus. _D. Price, Esq._ - Water Pets. _W. Lee, Esq._ - The Siesta. _W. Lee, Esq._ - The Architect. _John Foster, Esq._ - A Sculpture Gallery. _M. Gambart._ (?) - An Audience at Agrippa's. _The Marquis de Santurce._ - After the Audience. _Henry Mason, Esq._ - A Picture Gallery. _M. Gambart._ (?) - Wine. _W. Lee, Esq._ - In the Time of Constantine. _J. W. Knight, Esq._ - A Hearty Welcome. _Sir Henry Thompson._ - A Sculptor's Model. _Rt. Hon. Sir Robert Collier._ - In the Temple. _Angus Holden, Esq., J.P._ - Play. _J. G. Sandeman, Esq._ - A Well-Protected Slumber. _J. S. Forbes, Esq._ - Antistius Labeon. _The Marquis de Santurce._ - Love's Missile. _John Fielden, Esq._ - Cherry Blossom. _Wilberforce Bryant, Esq._ - A Torch Dance. _John Paton, Esq._ - Ave Caesar! Ió Saturnalia. _J. Dyson Perrins, Esq._ - Quiet Pets. _M. Verstolk Volekin._ - Reflections. _Lord Battersea._ - A Harvest Festival. _James Barrow, Esq._ - A Pastoral. _Wakefield Christy, Esq._ - An Audience. _G. H. Boughton, Esq., A.R.A._ - The Tepidarium. _Sharpley Bainbridge, Esq._ - Cleopatra. _-- Hawk, Esq._ - Young Affections. _Henry Joachim, Esq._ - Sappho. _M. Coquelin._ - Repose. _M. Coquelin._ - Oleanders. - On the Way to the Temple. - Shy. - Who Is It? - Hadrian Visiting a British Pottery. - Expectations. - A Reading from Homer. - An Apodyterium. - Not at Home. - Down to the River. - Pomona's Festival, - Departure. - The Seasons. - The Silent Counsellor. - A Bacchante. - At the Shrine of Venus. - Heliogabalus. - The Women of Amphissa. - Spring. _Herr Robert Mendelssohn._ - The Benediction. - Past and Present Generations. - Love's Jewelled Fetter. _Geo. McCulloch, Esq._ - Fortune's Favourite. _Herr Robert Mendelssohn._ - Unwelcome Confidence. _America._ - A Coign of Vantage. _America._ - Whispering Noon. _Sir Samuel Montagu._ - The Coliseum. _America._ - A Difference of Opinion. _America._ - "Nobody asked you, Sir, she said" (water colour). _Australia._ - Watching. "Her eyes are with her thoughts and - they are far away." _America._ - Wandering Thoughts. _America._ - Melody. _America._ - Roses, Love's Delight. _The Czar of Russia._ - The Conversion of Paula. _America._ - Hero. _America._ - A Listener. _The Tate Gallery._ - Thermae Antoninae. _America._ - Goldfish. _Sir Ernest Cassell._ - Vain Courtship. _Sir Ernest Cassell._ - "Under the roof of Blue Ionian Weather." _Sir Ernest Cassell._ - "The year's at the Spring - . . . . . . . . . . . . . - All's well with the world." _Alfred de Rothschild, Esq._ - - - - - THE PRINCIPAL PORTRAITS - BY - SIR LAWRENCE ALMA TADEMA. - - - Dr. and Mrs. Hueffer. - Dr. W. Epps. - Prof. G. B. Amendola. - L. Lowenstam, Esq. - My Youngest Daughter. - My Children. - Herr Henschel. - Dr. and Mrs. Semon. - Herr Hans Richter. - Ludwig Barnay as Mark Antony. - Sir Henry Thompson. - Herbert Thompson, Esq. - Mrs. Rowland Hill and Children. - George Simonds and Family. - Mrs. Marcus Stone. - A Family Group. - Miss Enid Ford. - Maurice Sons. - Portrait of Himself for Uffizi. - Lady Waterlow. - Miss Tina Mavis. - Mrs. George Lewis and Miss Elizabeth Lewis. - Mrs. George Armour of Princetown. - Prof. George Aitchison, R.A. - Max Waechter. - - - - CHISWICK PRESS: PRINTED BY CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO. - TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON. - - - - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIR LAWRENCE ALMA TADEMA *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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