Autumn (Scene in a Roman Garden)

Known for evocative recreations of the ancient world, Alma-Tadema here represents Roman men and women of different ages enjoying a warm fall day. At left, two young men sit in companionable contemplation near an older bearded figure whose pose and expression convey stoicism. The stillness of the seated forms contrasts with the suggested movement of a young couple strolling on a path at right. The curved marble bench, or exedra, bears a Latin inscription that refers to the Emperor Hadrian and demonstrates how the artist skillfully adapted archaeological sources to add authenticity. In this case, the form is borrowed from a bench-shaped memorial-tomb on the Via dei Sepolcri at Pompeii. Visually, its curved form brings several figures into proximity without implying a specific narrative. An exquisite example of the artist’s draftsmanship, this sheet was created for the printmaker Leopold Löwenstam, who regularly etched Alma-Tadema’s compositions, and a related print was published in 1880.