b.Jan. 8, 1836, Dronrijp, Netherlands. d.June 25, 1912, Wiesbaden, Germany. Painter and designer of Dutch birth. The son of a notary, Alma-Tadema demonstrated an early artistic ability. In 1852 he entered the Antwerp Academy, where he studied under Gustaf, Baron Wappers, and Nicaise de Keyser. An important influence at this time was Louis De Taye, Professor of Archaeology at the academy and a practising artist. Alma-Tadema lived and worked with De Taye from 1857 to 1859 and was encouraged by him to depict subjects from the early history of France and Belgium. This taste for historical themes increased when Alma-Tadema entered Baron Henri Leys studio in 1859 and began assisting him with his monumental frescoes for the Antwerp Town Hall. While in Leys studio, Alma-Tadema produced several major paintings, for example the Education of the Children of Clovis (1861; ex-Sir John Pender priv. col., see Zimmern, p. 3) and Venantius Fortunatus Reading his Poems to Radagonda (1862; Dordrecht, Dordrechts Mus.), which are characterized by their obscure Merovingian subject-matter, rather sombre colouring and close attention to detail.  Related Paintings of Alma-Tadema, Sir Lawrence :. | Faun and Bacchant (mk23) | Anna Alma-Tadema,The Drauwing Room at Toumshend House (mk23) | Unwelcome Confidence (mk23) | Edwin Long,An Egyptian Feast (mk23) | Interior of the Church of San Clemente (mk23) |
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Thomas Hickey
was an Irish painter. Born in Dublin, Hickey was the son of Noah, a confectioner in Capel Street, and Anne Hickey. A younger brother was John Hickey, the sculptor. He was trained at the Royal Dublin Society schools under Robert West. Hickey painted primarily portraits and genre scenes. He traveled widely, working in India, Portugal, Italy and England, residing in Bath between 1776 and 1780. On his voyage to India, the vessel in which he was travelling was captured by French and Spanish fleets which led him to Lisbon, where, after receiving a number of commissions, he remained for several years. He eventually reached Bengal and stayed there until 1791 when he returned to England. He then traveled as far as Peking, China with George Macartney, 1st Earl Macartney as the expedition's official portrait painter. He returned to Ireland shortly after the death of his brother John in January 1796. In 1797, he was commissioned by Dr. Robert Emmet, State Physician for Ireland, to paint a portrait of the doctor's son, Robert, and daughter, Mary. By 1798 he had returned to India where he landed just in time for the start of the Fourth Mysore War, which kept him engaged in painting. He resided in Madras until his death in 1824. In addition to his artistic talents, he is reputed to have been a sparkling conversationalist who rarely failed to charm his sitters. The Courtauld Institute of Art (London), the Honolulu Academy of Arts, the National Gallery of Ireland, the Tate and the Victoria Art Gallery (Bath, England) are among the public collections having paintings by Thomas Hickey.
Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini
Italian Baroque sculptor, painter and architect.1598-1680 was a pre-eminent Baroque sculptor and architect of 17th Century Rome. Bernini was born in Naples to a Mannerist sculptor, Pietro Bernini, originally from Florence. At the age of seven he accompanied his father to Rome, where his father was involved in several high profile projects. There as a boy, his skill was soon noticed by the painter Annibale Carracci and by Pope Paul V, and Bernini gained the patronage exclusively under Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the pope's nephew.
Adriaen Van Utrecht
Flemish Baroque Era Painter, 1599-1652 Flemish painter. He was apprenticed to Herman de Ryt in 1614 and later visited France, Italy and Germany before returning to Antwerp by 1625. He painted pantry scenes, farmyards with poultry, fish markets, game pieces, garlands and diverse still-lifes of fruit and vegetables. Game paintings are most frequent and reflect the influence of Frans Snyders. Adriaen adopted the same abundant displays of game, fruit and vegetables, usually set on a table parallel to the picture plane. Compositions typically fall in horizontal and vertical lines in contrast to the dynamic diagonals of Snyders. In large works, such as the Still-life with Game, Vegetables, Fruit and a Cockatoo (1650; Malibu, CA, Getty Mus.), Adriaen's accessories overflow the table on to the floor below. Baroque devices, such as a sweeping curtain and background window view, add movement and depth. Van Utrecht favoured warm earthen tones, especially grey-green, and a strong chiaroscuro light in his still-lifes; the latter may derive from his knowledge of Italian painting. The artist's style changed little during his career, save for the gradual elimination of figures in his paintings. The influence of Jan de Heem and Jan Fyt can also be seen in his later work.