The Story of the Work
Sir Alma Tadema: The Knight of Three Kingdoms
He was born a Dutch village boy. He died a British knight. The incredible ascent of Sir Alma Tadema to the pinnacle of the establishment.
Explore the history →Alma Tadema: The Story Behind the Name
Why did he have a hyphen? Was it a noble title? The true story of how Laurens Tadema became the famous Alma Tadema is a lesson in personal branding.
Explore the history →The Death of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema: The End of an Era
In 1912, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema died. It was more than the death of a man; it was the death of the Victorian dream. The tragedy of the final summer.
Explore the history →The Roses of Heliogabalus: The Most Beautiful Murder in Art History
It looks like a party. It's actually a massacre. Discover the dark story behind Lawrence Alma-Tadema's masterpiece, The Roses of Heliogabalus.
Explore the history →The Royal Academy and the Making of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Explore the relationship between the Royal Academy and Alma Tadema. How a Dutch outsider became the ultimate British insider through art and ambition.
Explore the history →The Final Resting Place of Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema at St. Paul's
Visit the tomb of Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema in St. Paul's Cathedral. A journey into the crypt where Britain buries its artistic giants.
Explore the history →The Lost Son: Alma-Tadema's Hidden Tragedy
Before Spring and Roses of Heliogabalus, Alma Tadema lost an infant son to smallpox. The boy's name was never recorded. This is the grief he never spoke about.
Explore the history →Flight from Death: Why Alma-Tadema Fled to London
In 1870, Alma Tadema fled Brussels for London. The official reason was war. The real reason was smallpox—the disease that had already killed half his family.
Explore the history →Alma Tadema and Ilona Eibenschütz: Brahms's Favorite (Opus CCCXCVI - 396)
Ilona Eibenschütz was the last musician Alma Tadema painted. She was the woman who knew Brahms, captured in the twilight of the Victorian age.
Explore the history →The Guardian & The Contralto: Sir Felix Semon and the Love Story Behind Opus CCXVI (216)
A deep dive into the lives of Sir Felix Semon (the pioneer of laryngology) and Lady Semon (Auguste Redeker), the subjects of Alma-Tadema's rare double portrait.
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