Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema

"Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912) was arguably the most successful painter of the Victorian era. For over sixty years he cleverly gave his audience precisely what they wanted: distinctive, elaborate paintings of beautiful, elegant people in classical settings - "Victorians in togas", as one art critic called them. His incredibly detailed reconstruction of ancient Rome, with languid men and women posed aginst white marble in dazzling sunlight, provided his public with an acceptable yet often erotic foray into sentimentality, escapism, and hedonism. He aquired fame, honors, and wealth, only to have his preeminence underminded by the changing tastes of a subsequent generation. In recent times, with the resurgence of interest in Victorian art and decoration, Alma-Tadema's achievements have been re-evaluated and his paintings are once again widely admired and avidly collected." -- Dust jacket.