Spring

Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Oil on canvas

J. Paul Getty Museum

A breathtaking procession of women and children descends flower-strewn marble stairs, adorned in flowing garments and bright blossoms, while cheering spectators crowd the windows and rooftop of a grand classical building. Alma-Tadema brilliantly transposed the Victorian May Day tradition of gathering flowers onto an ancient Roman spring festival, authenticating every architectural detail, costume, and musical instrument from Roman originals. Born in the Netherlands in 1836 and later knighted in England, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema was celebrated as the foremost painter of classical antiquity, earning the nickname 'the marbellous painter' for his uncanny ability to render marble, silk, and bronze with photographic realism. Now residing in the J. Paul Getty Museum, this luminous masterpiece — one of over three hundred classical works by the artist — is a jewel of Victorian academic painting that brings the warmth and pageantry of the ancient world vividly into any home.