Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912) was one of the finest & most distinctive of the Victorian painters. Dutch-born he moved to London in 1870 & became famous for his depictions of the luxury & decadence of the Roman Empire set in fabulous marbled interiors or against a backdrop of dazzling blue Mediterranean sea & sky. In this original study Rosemary Barrow presents an absorbing & often amusing portrait of an exuberant personality who carved out a brilliant career for himself at the heart of Londons artistic & cultural elite. But above all she subjects the paintings to a fresh scrutiny & reveals that Alma-Tadema a knowledgeable student of antiquity repeatedly used literary & archaeological allusions in his paintings to play a game of interpretation with his viewers. Time & again the seeming innocence of the scenes he depicts is subverted by a mischievously placed inscription or statue suggesting to the initiated a darker & usually risque meaning. Neglected after his death Alma-Tademas paintings are once again admired for their beauty & their remarkable mastery of light colour & texture. With its intriguing insights into his personality & intentions this book should provide a challenging reassessment of a major artist.