Laura Theresa (née Epps), Lady Alma-Tadema

Inscriptionback to top

Inscr. in pencil lower left of image: ‘WH / 25.11.91’;
and in ink in calligraphic hand lower right edge of paper: ‘-Laura Alma Tadema-’.
On verso, stamp: ‘C.Halford / Artists’ Colourman / 86 Park Street / Camden Town / AquarelleTablet’.
On former mount, stamp: ‘Mount by Caroline Woods / Jersey / tel:52605 No.732’.

This portraitback to top

The sitter was recalled by a contemporary as ‘one of the London beauties, of good stature, auburn-haired, with the warm body of a milkmaid and a gentle, Greek face’. [1] This last attribute, notable in profile, is a feature of several likenesses by her husband (see ‘All known portraits’) and the pose here was perhaps chosen for this reason. At the time of the drawing, the sitter had been married for twenty years; her current works included Hushabye (RA 1892 [762]). It is one of a large number of likenesses made by {(William) Walker Hodgson} in 1891–2, [2] which were conceived for illustration, and was drawn four days after his portrait of the sitter’s husband Lawrence Alma-Tadema.

Dr Jan Marsh

Footnotesback to top

1) Hawthorne 1928, p.123. Hawthorne was in London during the 1880s.
2) [Wood] 1984. See also {NPG collection: 4041(1–5)}.

Physical descriptionback to top

Head-and-shoulders, profile to right, hair up.

Conservationback to top

Conserved, 1986.

Provenanceback to top

Phillips, 6 October 1986; purchased with 6 other portrait drawings by the artist.

View all known portraits for Laura Theresa (née Epps), Lady Alma-Tadema