Alma-Tadema studied at the Antwerp Academy, collaborating with Leys on the frescoes in the town hall (18
59). He achieved his first success with paintings of medieval subjects in a Romantic tone, such as \i Destruction of the Abbey of Doest\i0 , exhibited in Brussels in 1857. In 1863, following a trip to Italy, he devoted himself to evoking classical anti
quity. From 1865 to 1869 he lived in Brussels, and moved to England in 1870, becoming a British citizen in 1873 and a member of the Royal Academy in 1879. He specialized in an anecdotal style of painting, illustrating scenes of daily life set in the Eg
yptian, Greek and Roman worlds, which he represented with archeological accuracy and precision that made him famous and earned him many commissions. Among his numerous works, it is worth mentioning the \i Pyrrhic Dance\i0 (1869, Guildhall Art Gallery,
London), \i Sappho and Alcaeus\i0 (1881, Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore) and \i The\i0 \i Favorite Custom\i0 (1909, Tate Gallery, London), in addition to various paintings found in numerous American and European museums. His reputation among his cont
emporaries earned him the honor of being buried in St. PaulÆs Cathedral.
