Customer Reviews
Every coffee table should have one - By: , 13 Aug 2003 
This is a beautifully bound edition, printed on high quality paper. Open it & you soon discover page after page of lush colour plates. However, this is more than a picture book, as the plates are accompanied by text that is every bit as colourful. Barrow clearly knows her subject, & she provides informative & concise commentary on Tadema's work. She also avoids the trap of becoming sidetracked into the flawed argument that Tadema's work was expertly produced but ultimately vacuous tosh for which wealthy philistines would pay high prices. Instead, while covering this argument, she focuses on the content of his pictures, the subject matter, & the humour that Tadema often injected into his pictures.
The book is arranged chronologically, beginning with Tadema's earliest exhibited works, & progressing through his career to, at the end, examples of works that remain unfinished.
The list of works at the back of the book is not exhaustive, & some works mentionedin the text are not present as plates, but this hardly detracts from what is an attractive & enjoyable book.
Luxurious book - great read, great pictures - By: , 29 Oct 2001 Elegantly written so that the text, while being informative &
erudite, is a constant pleasure to read. We get a sense of the man &
a detailed discussion of his paintings (complemented by the fine
illustrations). The analysis of classical sources is both fascinating
and accessible to those without prior knowledge of the ancient world.
Lots of new material & pictures not reproduced elsewhere. Playful,
provocative, learned & readible, it is unequalled by any other book
on the market on Alma-Tadema. Essential reading for anyone interested
in Victorian painting.
