January the 8th - Lawrence Alma-Tadema - Artist Birthday
- LaBelleEpoq
- Jan 9, 2023
- 3 min read
Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Dutch, British
Born: January 8, 1836
Dronrijp, Netherlands
Died: June 25, 1912
Wiesbaden, Germany
Art Movement: Romanticism, Neoclassicism
Alma-Tadema was born in Dronrijp, Netherlands, in 1836, to Pieter Jiltes Tadema and his wife, Hofke Johanna Coopmans. Alma-Tadema's father was a notary and his mother was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. As a child, Alma-Tadema showed a strong interest in art and received his first art lessons from his older brother, who was also an artist.
In 1952 Lawrence Alma-Tadema entered the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium, where he studied under the tutelage of his primary instructor, the Belgian artist Louis Jan de Taeye.
During his time at the Academy, Alma-Tadema focused on learning the skills and techniques of painting and drawing and studying the classical works of art and architecture that would later inspire his own work.
After completing his studies at the Royal Academy, Alma-Tadema returned to the Netherlands and began painting historical and genre scenes. His early works focused on subjects from Dutch and European history and folklore. Some of his early paintings include "The Education of the Children of Clovis" (1861), depicting a scene from the early history of the Franks, and "The Crossing of the Berezina River" (1859-69), depicting a scene from Napoléon's Russian Campaign.
He soon found success and gained a reputation as a talented artist, and his works were highly sought after by collectors. Eventually, he became one of the most successful and highest-paid artists of his time. In addition to his artistic pursuits, Alma-Tadema was also an avid collector of classical art and artefacts. He owned a large collection of ancient Greek and Roman coins, vases and sculptures, which he used as reference material for his paintings.
In 1870 Lawrence Alma-Tadema moved to England, shortly after the end of the Franco-Prussian War. At that time, England was experiencing a revival of interest in classical art and culture, and Alma-Tadema's paintings of ancient Roman and Greek motifs were popular with Victorian collectors.
Alma-Tadema quickly established himself as a leading figure in the British art world and was soon a sought-after painter. He started receiving numerous commissions for paintings of ancient Roman and Greek scenes and his works were highly sought after by collectors.
His paintings were known for their detailed and realistic depiction of ancient architecture and lifestyle, and for his ability to capture the opulence and luxury of the ancient Roman and Greek elite. His works were admired for their technical proficiency and ability to transport the viewer to another time and place.
Alma-Tadema continued to live and work in England, eventually becoming a naturalized British citizen in 1873. In addition to his success as a painter, Alma-Tadema was also a talented draftsman and etcher. He exhibited his drawings and etchings at the Royal Academy of Arts in London and was eventually elected a member of the Academy in 1879.
He had been in failing health for several years and travelled to Wiesbaden, famous for its therapeutic spas, hoping that the thermal waters would improve his health. Lawrence Alma-Tadema died on June 25, 1912, at the age of 76, while at a spa. His body was brought back and buried in the crypt of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
Today, Lawrence Alma-Tadema is revered as a master painter and a leading figure in the Victorian art world. His works continue to be exhibited in museums and galleries around the world and are admired by art lovers and collectors.
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