Tadema and the Victorian Obsession

Last week there was a post by Dan Dos Santos about a new Alma-Tadema exhibit at the Leighton House in London. Tadema is one of my all time favorites and I hope to be able to make it to the show. There is no substitute for seeing the original, but if we can’t make it there, major exhibitions usually come with high quality books and reproductions made from excellent photography.

After seeing the post I went in search of the book that would accompany the show and I found it.  It does not disappoint. It is a nice sized book with excellent reproductions and some large prints.  The text of the book is excellent as well, showing the arc of Tadema’s career and how he influenced other artists of his time. We also get some insights into his working methods and family.  I can’t recommend the book enough if you are at all a fan of this amazing artist.

Here is a flip-through of the book:

You can order the book on Amazon here: Lawrence Alma-Tadema: At Home in Antiquity

I found another book while in France at the Musee D’Orsay bookshop.  I couldn’t find the book in english in the shop, but a quick search on Amazon dug one up.  The prices are all over the place, which suggests that the supply is limited and when it is gone, the book may be in high demand.  The book catalogs another Leighton House show.  This time it is the collection of Pérez Simón who loves the late 19th century Victorian artists.  This is another fantastic book with a great variety of artists represented.  Tadema is again a well represented, but so are Waterhouse, Godward, Leighton, Millais, Poynter and many other greats.