New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-26

I
was IN his seventy seventh year.
Popular impression held Lawrence Alma
Ttdoma 20 be n Greek His name and the
classical nature OF his subjects gave rise to
this error. As n matter OF fact, the great
painter was a Dutchman. born in Dronryp.
lr the Northern Netherlands, and bred ard
, educated in that region. And he was
tvrical. robust DutCuman. sturdy and mus
cular and short Good humor and determi-
nation rivalled each other I'm his express
sion There was decision in all his move
msuts and a quality Of strength In his
bearing. Then there was besides all the
patience Of his Countrymen in mastering a
difficulty I'm which lay one Of the elements
Of his success.
Poverty. which has bosct the youth Of so
many geniuscs did not pass by Tadema.
when he was four years old his father died.
and his mother had difficulty in supporting
and educating her two children. She looked
askancc at the youngsters ambition to be
come a painter He was sent to the gym
pasium AT I.eeuwardcn, but he spent more
time drawing than he did on the regular
curriculum. A drawing he made OF MS
sister when he was fourteen years old was
accented by a fury Of the Leeuwarden eN-
hihit and thenccforth his career was set
lied He was entered as n student at the
Roval Academy In Antwerp, studying under
Lows Speaking Of his education and other
i,1uspccs in his development, Tadema once
said:
"Of course. put first and foremost the
Rock Of Nature, but Leonardo da Nincls
pa,V Ntn
youth Of great help to me, and for the nrm
and strong advice expressed in It's pages
have always been profoundly grateful Be
sides which l am indebted to tins great
master for the beautiful adage: All VINO
bave eyes must not think they can see
Won must know 1t is only the eyes gained
by knowledge that can see
81 WAS once asked by DIR. GeOrg Ebers
the great EgyptoloGist. why In depicting
ancient life ! should have begun with the
land of Isis. But where else should nave
begune The first thing the child learns OF
ancient times is about the court OF
Pharaoh. and If We 20 back to the source
of art and science, how often have we not
to go back to Egypt?
After leaving the art school | entered the
studio OF Louis Detaye, professor OF archte-
ology I'm the Royal Academy of Antwerp,
and worked on his pictures. as | did later
on many pictures OF the great historical
nainter Of Belgium, Baron Legs, who ex-
erclsed a deep and lasting influence on my
work.
In London painter can obtain every
thing he wants in the way Of models. Rome
itself cannot produce more varying types
OF Italian models than are 10 be found here
There are those who say that my Greeks
and Romans are too English I'm their APP
pearance: but the difference between an
cient and modern is not 80 great as We are
ant TO suppose. The old Romans were hu-
man flesh and blood like ourselves, moved
nv Identical passions and emotions, and II
Is this truth that / have endeayored always
to express in my pictures"
Alma-Tadcma' FIRST great success was
"The Education OF the Children of Clovis,
noiuted I'm 1861, and exhibited at Antwerp
This began his second period His first pc
riod heeau with a portrait of himself
palnted In 1859, and ended with "A Bar
gain" I'm 1860. In 1852 he received his first
gold medal at Amsterdam. What is gem
orally considered the finest of his MeroNin-
clan pictures was "Fregonda" painted In
1873
one NJ the first Of his Egyptian group
"Eavptians Three Thousand Years Ago.
was paintcd i'm 1863 Then there was the
Death of the First Born" painted In Nos,