Who is in the corner?

In a mirror in the top-right corner, we see the artist at work wearing a straw hat. In 1893, Laura had painted a self-portrait entitled Satisfaction, in which a mirror reflects a glimpse of her husband in the garden, wearing the same hat. Lawrence’s inclusion of himself in the hat is likely to be an homage to this work, supported by the green patterned background of the reflected image, which could represent a garden.

Where are they?

Although in this painting we can only see a glimpse of the setting, Alma-Tadema used his opulent home, Townshend House, as a backdrop for several paintings. He collected archaeological drawings and photographs of classical sites and ruins, which acted as source material for many of his works. This thorough and eclectic approach extended to his home, which took inspiration from design styles ranging from traditional Dutch to Egyptian, Ancient Greek, Pompeiian, Byzantine and Japanese.

Who was Lawrence Alma-Tadema?

Born in Friesland, Netherlands in 1836, Lawrence Alma-Tadema settled in London in 1870 and became one of the most successful artists of Victorian Britain. His many themes included contemporary portraits, landscapes and Egyptian historical and genre scenes, but he was best-known for classical subjects, particularly decadent images of domestic life in antiquity. His devotion to historical accuracy led to early 20th-century Hollywood directors referring to his work when recreating the ancient world. However, his paintings were simultaneously dismissed by critics for being sentimental and kitschy. Since the 1960s, scholars have re-evaluated his work, reinstating him as a crucial figure in 19th-century British art.