Alma-Tadema and Leighton: At Home in Antiquity at Leighton House

The exhibition 'At Home in Antiquity' at Leighton House Museum in London explores the lives and works of Lawrence Alma-Tadema and Frederic Leighton, two Victorian artists who built elaborate home-studios reflecting their fascination with classical antiquity. Alma-Tadema, born in the Netherlands in 1836, moved to England at 34 after a commission of 24 paintings encouraged by an art dealer. His career, spanning 60 years, focused on scientifically studied yet dreamlike ancient scenes, from Imperial Rome to biblical Egypt, catering to the upper-class and aristocratic patrons. Leighton, a contemporary, created an Arab-Norman hall in his Holland Park villa inspired by the Palazzo della Zisa in Palermo, while Alma-Tadema's Saint John's Wood villa featured Roman and Moorish furniture, neoclassical domes, and Pompeian interiors. Both artists hosted soirées with figures like Tchaikovsky, Churchill, Sarah Bernhardt, and Rodin. The exhibition also highlights works by Alma-Tadema's wife, Laura Theresa, a talented painter and costume designer, and his daughter Anna, who rejected the classical theme. Alma-Tadema was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1899 but criticized by John Ruskin as 'the worst painter of the 19th century,' leading to his obscurity in the 20th century. Key works include 'The Roses of Heliogabalus' (1888) and 'The Finding of Moses' (1904), the latter unseen in England for a century. The exhibition runs until October 29, 2017.