"Woman and Flowers," Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1866.

I've featured Alma-Tadema before, so I won't bother much with biography.

He was a huge fan of Classical Greek art and stylings, and included them a lot in his artwork, even when depicting contemporary scenes.

Here we have an obviously Victorian scene, with a sofa and all that but the table, and the woman's hair and clothing, all echo Classical Greece. It's quite a mingling of themes that works quite well. Also a rather sensual painting, in showing her obvious joy in smelling the flowers.

Happy Flower Friday!

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"Unconscious Rivals," Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1893.

I've featured Alma-Tadema before, so I won't go into his biography much. What we have here is another example of his taste for classicism. He went to museums and would study Greek and Roman art so he could reproduce it as accurately as he could.

He was a friend of the Pre-Raphaelites, but not quite a member of the school. They did influence his work, encouraging him to use brighter colors and more light.

I find his work hard to make up my mind about. Sometimes I'm impressed with his attention to detail and use of color....and sometimes his work seems to have an almost prepackaged, mass-produced air to it, like something you'd see on the wall at a doctor's office. Or maybe it's just me.

From the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery.

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"Ask Me No More," Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1906.

Dutch-born, British by choice, Alma-Tadema (1836-1912) was a specialist in sun-drenched scenes from Greek and Roman myth and history...here we have a scene from the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, fotbidden lovers who inspired Romeo and Juliet...and whose story was treated in burlesque fashion in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Alma-Tadema's work was extremely popular in his time; he was prized for his mythical themes and for his solid draftsmanship. However, he fell from favor after the Victorian age ended, but regained popularity in the late 20th century.

He remained solidly in the category of Academic art, never falling in with the Pre-Raphaelites, Impressionists, or what have you, although he was an influence on the Symbolists. He was meticulous with detail, especially with architecture, and sought to paint it as accurately as possible.

From a private collection.

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