When he returned to London from Italy in 1921, he became increasingly distressed with the advent of modernism, and died the following year, a century ago today.
Alma-Tadema
He died a century ago, perhaps the last painter to paint art for art’s sake, avoiding narrative or meaning. Paintings from the first half of his career.
A Roman hero, intended to be consul, is banished because he wouldn’t get on with common people. When he can defeat Rome, who can stop him?
Never paint children or animals, says the rule. This tribute to artists who ignored the rule shows work by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Goya, and others to Mary Cassatt.
This play, responsible for the burning down of the Globe Theatre, tells the story of Henry’s divorce from Queen Katherine and the birth of Queen Elizabeth I.
Based on Plutarch’s Lives, this play contains some of the most memorable quotations in English, and has been painted quite frequently.
The enjoyment of being idle, indulgence of relaxation, and blissful laziness: that’s dolce far niente for you, in paintings to chill out with.
Why are women sometimes shown as having very pale skin? Why did they apply cosmetics to make their faces whiter? Ask the ancient Egyptians.
Harriet Backer’s canonical masterwork, Nikolai Astrup shows his technical skill, two wonderful views by Pierre Bonnard, and from Eric Ravilious.
A banquet with a river god, a pitched battle at his friend’s wedding which turned into a full-scale war, a relationship involving incest, suicide and violent death, and the abduction of Helen – quite the career of a Greek hero.
The Eclectic Light Company 