Loves votaries by Lawrence Alma-Tadema

This sumptuous work wonderfully illustrates the ideal of idleness and refinement inherent to the Victorian aesthetic movement. Titled “Loves votaries”, this painting signed by Lawrence Alma-Tadema features two Roman women enjoying a moment of absolute relaxation. Through this harmonious composition, the artist celebrates formal beauty, discreet luxury, and the sweetness of Mediterranean life, transporting the viewer into a world of serenity and ancient elegance.

Two young women are settled on a raised terrace at the edge of a deep sapphire blue sea. One of them, wearing a crown of dark flowers, is seated and wears a golden stola, her gaze directed toward her companion. The latter is lying full length on a large rug, her head resting on an ochre cushion, pensively observing the viewer. Beside them, in the right foreground, a small sculpted marble fountain lets thin streams of crystal-clear water spurt out. The wall in the background is adorned with a white marble bas-relief representing dancing mythological figures, adding great decorative richness under a soft, veiled sky.

The artist’s expertise deploys brilliantly in the mastery of oil painting and varied textures. Lawrence Alma-Tadema restores with incredible fidelity the grain of the sculpted marble, the fluidity of the water, and the softness of the fabrics. His realistic style offers an incomparable physical presence to this ancient idyll.