Conversation so far:
What can you tell me about Lawrence Alma-Tadema's style?
Alma-Tadema's works are remarkable for the way in which flowers, textures and hard reflecting substances, like metals, pottery, and especially marble, are painted.
What gave him inspiration for his style?
He amassed an enormous number of photographs from ancient sites in Italy, which he used for the most precise accuracy.
Did anyone of note have anything to say about his style?
many of his adversaries to take up arms against his almost encyclopaedic works.
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
One humorous story relates that one of his paintings was rejected.
Why was it rejected?
He worked assiduously to make the most of his paintings, often repeatedly reworking parts of paintings before he found them satisfactory to his own high standards.

Question: What was the humorous story?
Self-contained rewrite: What was the humorous story surrounding Lawrence Alma-Tadena's rejected painting?