Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema
One of the most renowned artists of the late nineteenth century, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, was born on the 25th of June in the small village of Dronrijp, in Friesland in the north of the Netherlands.
His father was, Pieter Jiltes Tadema (1797-1840), the village notary, and his mother was Hinke Dirks Brouwer (c.1800-1863). In 1838, Pieter Tadema was offered a more lucrative position in Leeuwarden; so with money being tight with six children to feed, the family upped sticks and moved. Pieter Tadema was to die when Lawrence was only four. With full responsibility for her children’s education, Hinke decided that drawing lessons should be incorporated in to their studies. Hinke, herself had artistic leanings. Lawrence received his first art lesson from a local drawing master who was hired by the family to teach his older brothers.
It was initially hoped that Lawrence would become a lawyer but at the age of fifteen in 1851 Lawrence suffered a mental and physical breakdown. The doctors diagnosed consumption and gave him a matter of only months to live. Because of this Hinke Tadema let the young Lawrence spend his remaining days at his leisure painting and drawing, whatever took his fancy.
To everyone’s surprise, Lawrence regained his health and decided to pursue a career as an artist. He entered the Royal Academy of Antwerp in 1852 to study Flemish and Dutch art under the guidance of Egide Charles Gustave Wappers. Lawrence was registered for four years at the Academy and he won numerous awards for his artworks.
In the latter months of 1855 Tadema was hired as an assistant to the professor and painter, Louis Jan de Taeye. Tadema had highly enjoyed the history and historical courses run by Jan de Taeye at the Academy and although Jan de Taeye was not a great painter, Tadema respected him deeply. He was to work as Jan de Taeye’s assistant or three years. Jan de Taeye became a great influence on Tadema introducing him to books that greatly influenced his desire to portray Merovingian subjects early in his career. Jan de Taeye encouraged Tadema to depict historical accuracy in his paintings, a trait for which Tadema became well known and respected. Tadema left Jan de Taeye’s company to return to Leeuwarden in 1858 before moving to Antwerp where he worked for Baron Jan August Hendrik Leys. Hendrik Leys studio was one of the most respected studios in Belgium at that time.
It was under the guidance of Hendrik that Tadema painted his first major work, The Education of the Children of Clovis (1861). To Tadema’s delight this artwork, when it was exhibited that year at the Artistic Congress in Antwerp, created a sensation amongst critics and painters alike. This was the artwork that is said to have laid the foundation of his reputation and fame. Interestingly, Leys admitted that although he thought the completed painting far exceeded his expectations, he was critical of the treatment of marble, which he compared to an old piece of cheese. Tadema took this criticism onboard - improving his technique – he became the world’s foremost painter of variegated granite and marble. When the painting was sold it was given to King Leopold of Belgium .
1863 was an eventful year for Tadema; mixed with both sadness and joy. His beloved mother died after a long invalidity on January the 3rd and on September 24th he married Pauline Gressin, the daughter of a French journalist of royal descent. Very little is known about Pauline and even after her death in 1869 Tadema spoke little of her. Although her image appears in numerous oils from the time, Tadema only ever painted her portrait three times.
After Pauline’s death in 1863 Tadema was invited to England by Ford Maddox Brown and here he met and fell in love with Laura Theresa Epps. Then when the Franco-Prussian war broke out in 1870 he moved to England where he settled for the rest of his life. Tadema said of the move:
"I lost my first wife, a French lady with whom I married in 1863, in 1869. Having always had a great predilection for London, the only place where, up till then my work had met with buyers, I decided to leave the continent and go to settle in England, where I have found a true home."
Tadema experience great success in England, becoming one of the most famous and highly paid artists of his time. By 1871 he made good friendship with the artists of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and was in part due to their influence encouraged to lighten his brushwork, vary his hues and brighten his palette.
Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema was greatly admired during his lifetime, not only for his draftsmanship but also for his depictions of Classical antiquity. Sadly, after his death his works became unfashionable and it wasn’t until the 1960s that his legacy was re-evaluated nd recognised for its importance within nineteenth century Art.
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