DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.69400#0040
24
ALMA TADEMA
at his Doorway, Tadema for the first time applies
the methods of genre painting to the treatment
of antique themes. This novel manner of deal-
ing with archaeology, which is really of his crea-
tion, has found a large school of imitators, none
of whom, however, approach the master either
for spontaneity of conception or skill of execu-
tion. This leaning towards genre and its applica-
tion to subjects that had hitherto not invited
treatment in this manner, may probably be traced
to Tadema’s Dutch origin, seeing that the Dutch
were past masters in this form of composition,
which by them was chiefly used to illustrate
trivial moments of their immediate environment.
The most remarkable of these works is the
Death of the First-born ; indeed, Tadema ranks
it as his best picture, and has never yet accepted
any offer for its purchase. It hangs permanently
in his studio, and is looked upon by his family
as a priceless possession. The date of this work
is 1873, when the artist had already begun to
turn his attention to those Greco-Roman themes
with which his fame has since been so closely
associated. As the picture is not familiar to the
world from reproductions, we will describe it at
length.
In this picture of the last, worst plague of Egypt,
ALMA TADEMA
at his Doorway, Tadema for the first time applies
the methods of genre painting to the treatment
of antique themes. This novel manner of deal-
ing with archaeology, which is really of his crea-
tion, has found a large school of imitators, none
of whom, however, approach the master either
for spontaneity of conception or skill of execu-
tion. This leaning towards genre and its applica-
tion to subjects that had hitherto not invited
treatment in this manner, may probably be traced
to Tadema’s Dutch origin, seeing that the Dutch
were past masters in this form of composition,
which by them was chiefly used to illustrate
trivial moments of their immediate environment.
The most remarkable of these works is the
Death of the First-born ; indeed, Tadema ranks
it as his best picture, and has never yet accepted
any offer for its purchase. It hangs permanently
in his studio, and is looked upon by his family
as a priceless possession. The date of this work
is 1873, when the artist had already begun to
turn his attention to those Greco-Roman themes
with which his fame has since been so closely
associated. As the picture is not familiar to the
world from reproductions, we will describe it at
length.
In this picture of the last, worst plague of Egypt,