Later Victorian Portraits Catalogue

Laura Theresa (née Epps), Lady Alma-Tadema (1852-1909), Painter; second wife of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema; daughter of George Napoleon Epps

Self-portraits
By other artists
Photographs

Self-portraitsback to top


1870–71
Oil on screen, 1833 x 4722mm, painted by sitter in collaboration with her husband Lawrence Alma-Tadema, whole-length, profile to left, standing in Epps family group; V&A, London, W.20:1-1981. Repr. Swanson 1990, no.129; and Becker et al. 1996, no.22.

1871
Oil on canvas, framed with self-portrait by husband Lawrence Alma-Tadema, head-and-shoulders; Fries Museum Leeuwarden, S08693. Repr. Swanson 1990, no.133; and Becker et al. 1996, no.24.


By other artistsback to top



1860
Watercolour and bodycolour on paper, 178 x 158mm, by John Brett, signed ‘J.B.’ lower left and dated ‘1860’ lower right, head-and-shoulders to right, light brown wavy hair, grey-green jacket buttoned to neck; Ashmolean M., Oxford, WA1965.25.3. Exh. Objects of Affection: Pre-Raphaelite Portraits by John Brett, Barber Inst. of Fine Arts, Birmingham U., FAS, London, and Fitzwilliam M., Cambridge, 2010 (20); ref. Payne 2010, no.378 (not ill.); repr. Payne & Sumner 2010, p.31.

1870–71
Pencil drawing, 185 x 135mm, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, head-and-shoulders, profile to left, rose bound to forehead; coll. Dennis Lanigan, Canada. Exh. RA 1913 (104); and A Dream of the Past, U. of Toronto Art Centre, 2000 (2); repr. Sotheby’s, Belgravia, 30 July 1974 (334); Christie’s, 22 July 1986 (183); and Lanigan 2000, p.46.

1871
Oil on canvas, 406 x 508mm, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, opus XC, half-length, to front, reclining on left arm; untraced. Possibly that exh. Grosvenor G., London, 1883 (2, as ‘Miss Laura Epps, 1871’); repr. Swanson 1990, no.134.

Oil on canvas, 421 x 825mm, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, as female figure in Une fête intime [Bacchanal], whole-length, in antique costume, dancing holding thyrsis; untraced. Repr. Swanson 1990, no.135.

Oil on panel, 485 x 120mm, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, opus XCIII, whole-length, half-profile to left, standing holding Japanese fan; M. Mesdag, The Hague. Repr. Swanson 1977, p.42; and Swanson 1990, no.137.

Oil on panel, 429 x 280mm, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, signed and dated, main figure in Etruscan Vase Painters (or Pottery Painting, opus XCIV), whole-length, standing three-quarters to right, almost profile to right, holding titled vase on table and leaning backwards slightly to appraise work; Manchester AG, 1980.233. Repr. Swanson 1990, no.138; and Becker et al. 1996, no.25.

Etching by William Bell Scott, head-and-shoulders, profile to right, with husband Lawrence Alma-Tadema; BM, London (ref. O’Donoghue 1908–1922, vol.1, p.241, no.1). Repr. Christie’s, 6 Nov. 1995 (101).

1871–2
Oil on canvas, 585 x 410mm, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, whole-length, half-profile to left, seated in historical costume; untraced. Repr. Swanson 1990, no.140.

1871–7
Oil on panel by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, in double portrait; untraced. Ref. Swanson 1990, no.229.

1872
Watercolour, 760 x 500mm, by Catherine Madox Brown, signed and inscr., whole-length, standing, leading small dog; priv. coll. Exh. RA 1872 (724); repr. Bonhams, 14 June 2000 (47); and Sotheby’s, 15 July 2008 (26).

1874
Oil on canvas, 953 x 647mm, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, A Roman Studio (opus CXXXVI), whole-length, seated, bent towards work upon easel at left-hand side of composition; untraced; with Peter Nahum, c.2000. Exh. Glasgow Inst. 1875; Birmingham RSA 1896 (349); RA 1913 (24); Brigham Young U., Utah, Feb. 1979 (17); ref. Swanson 1990, no.174 (ill.); repr. Burlington Magazine, Apr. 1972, p.lxix (front matter).
Preparatory drawing for the work, 221 x 294mm, signed and inscr. ‘Croquis pour le tableau nommé “Antistius Labeon”'; BM, London, 1954,0508.35.

1874–5
Terracotta, 691mm high, by Aimé-Jules Dalou, bust; M. d’Orsay, Paris, RF 2307 (where dated to 1875). Exh. RSPP 1894 (222); ref. Becker et al. 1996, under no.44 (where dated to 1874); glimpsed in background of Interrupted (see below). Dalou sculpted a portrait of Lawrence Alma-Tadema (RA 1874 [1606], subsequently destroyed) to which this is presumably a companion piece. In 1876, Lawrence Alma-Tadema painted a family group of Dalou with his wife and daughter (now M. d’Orsay, Paris).

1876
Oil on canvas, 500 x 400mm, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, opus CLXII, inscr. ‘Alma Tadema Roma 1876 Op CLXII’, head-and-shoulders, holding fan; Williamson AG, Birkenhead, BIKGM 3343. Possibly that exh. Grosvenor G., London, 1883 (68, as ‘My Wife’s Portrait, 1875’); repr. Swanson 1990, no.203.

c.1878
Bronze by G.B. Amendola, bust; untraced. Exh. RA 1879 (1572, with companion bust of Lawrence Alma-Tadema); Grosvenor G., London, summer 1880 (314); and RSPP 1894 (224); probably that seen in photograph of Lawrence Alma-Tadema by J.P. Mayall publ. 1884.

1879
Oil on copper, 220 x 150mm, by Jules Bastien-Lepage, signed and dated, half-length; Ashmolean M., Oxford, WA1965.15.2. Exh. RSPP 1899 (2).

1880
Oil on panel, 432 x 305mm, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Interrupted, head-and-shoulders, half-profile to left, holding copy of Graphic; coll. London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Exh. Graphic Gallery, London, 1880 (9); Grosvenor G., London, winter 1882–3 (69); and RA Winter 1913 (211); repr. Swanson 1990, no.257; and London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, Cecil French Bequest catalogue, 1997, no.49 (also ref.).

1881
Oil on canvas by John Collier, ‘head & hands standing’ (Collier’s Sitters Book); untraced. Exh. Grosvenor G., London, summer 1881 (11).
Related watercolour c.1884 by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, on silk handkerchief belonging to John Collier, ‘head & hands standing’; untraced. Ref. Swanson 1990, p.294.

1883
Bronze and silver figurine by G.B. Amendola, whole-length, reclining in chair; coll. Richard Cacchione, NY. Exh. Grosvenor G., London, 1883 (162); and RSPP 1894 (218); repr. Becker et al. 1996, fig.3. G.B. Amendola is depicted chasing the figure in his studio in Naples in an untraced portrait of the sculptor by Lawrence Alma-Tadema dated to 1883; exh. Grosvenor G., London, 1884 (8); ref. Swanson 1990, no.291 (opus CCLIV); repr. Christie’s, 8 June 2006 (212); also repr. as wood-engr. by William Biscombe Gardner, ILN, special suppl., 14 June 1884, with commentary p.583 (copy BM, London, 2008,7034.8, where it is misleadingly stated that the figurine was exh. RA 1879).

1886
Pencil drawing, 165 x 115mm, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, signed by artist and sitter and dated 2 Nov. 1886, head, profile to right, wearing bonnet; priv. coll. Repr. Bonhams, 12 June 2003 (677).
Related pen and ink thumbnail sketch, on notepaper 63 x 101mm, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, with signature of G.H. Boughton, head-and-shoulders, profile to left, wearing bonnet, as postage stamp; untraced; formerly with Maas G., London.

publ.1888
Drawing from life by Charles Paul Renouard, initialled by artist bottom left, three-quarter-length, seated to left beside canvas, with daughter; untraced. Repr. as process print Graphic, 16 June 1888, p.636.

1889
Oil on canvas by Henry Jamyn Brooks; see NPG 1833.

1891
Pencil drawing by (William) Walker Hodgson; see NPG 5898.

1896
Oil on canvas, 305 x 279mm, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, A Family Group (opus CCCXXXVII), half-length, with siblings; RA, London, 03/408. Exh. New G., London, 1896 (87); RSA, Glasgow, 1899 (136); Mappin AG, Sheffield and Laing AG, Newcastle, 1976 (22); repr. Swanson 1977, pl.20; Callen 1979, jacket; and Swanson 1990, no.375.

1898
Drawing by Mary Louisa Gow, whole-length, seated; untraced. Exh. RSPP 1898 (162); repr. Harmsworth Magazine, May 1901, p.331.


Undated portrait

Drawing by Harry Furniss (possibly from memory), head-and-shoulders; untraced. Repr. Furniss 1923, facing p.82.


Photographsback to top



?1878
Carte-de-visite, 165 x 108mm, by G. Sommer, Napoli, vignette with sitter signature, quarter-length, profile to right; The Rob Dickins Coll., Watts G., Compton, COMWG2008.277. Repr. Bills & Webb 2007, no.60.

before 1893
Photograph by Window & Grove, head-and-shoulders to right, left hand to cheek; repr. The Year’s Art 1893, facing p.8 (where attributed to Virtue & Co.); and unidentified periodical (where attributed to Window & Grove), image in NPG SB (Alma-Tadema).

1905
Carbon prints by Lena Connell (Beatrice Cundy), three-quarter-length, standing with husband in formal outdoor wear, wearing floral hat, two known poses:
(a) 112 x 78mm, to left of husband (in top hat); NPG x47. Repr. Lovett 1991, p.26; and Christie’s, 14 June 2000, p.101.
(b) 112 x 76mm, signed by sitters, to right of husband (no hat); The Rob Dickins Coll., Watts G., Compton, COMWG2008.4322. Exh. Victorian Art World in Photographs, NPG, 1984 (4); repr. Maas 1984, no.232; and Bills & Webb 2007, no.62.

Undated photographs
Two uncredited images have appeared on websites, demonstrating the existence of other photographs of Laura Alma-Tadema. See, for instance:

Photograph by unidentified photographer, half-length, looking right, wearing straw hat, leaning with hands clasped on parapet.

Photograph by unidentified photographer, head-and-shoulders, half-profile to left, left hand to collar, wearing fringed shoulder-cape; repr. 13 June 2010 at Victorian Peeper.

Dr Jan Marsh