“ The Roses of Heliogabalus” is currently in the private collection of the Spanish-Mexican businessman, Juan Antonio Pérez Simón.įor more on Lawrence Alma-Tadema, please visit his short biography here. As this piece was painted during the winter, for four months, Alma-Tadema had roses specially brought in to his studio from the French Riviera to ensure the accuracy of the roses he depicted. Elagabalus can be seen watching the scene in the background, second from the left.įor dramatic effect, Alma-Tadema decided to depict all of the flowers as roses. Mayall from Artists at Home, photogravure, published 1884, Department of Image Collections, National Gallery of Art Library, Washington, DC With his small daughters and sister Atje, Alma-Tadema arrived in London at the beginning of September 1870. The artist left London in January, 1876, to spend four months in Rome.

The story goes that so many flowers fell from the ceiling and were piled so high, that some guests were actually smothered and suffocated to death. Alma-Tadema was one of a number of young British artists who were reinterpreting the classical world and creating a new kind of historical genre. According to historical lore as documented in the Augustan History, a wave of flowers were dropped onto the guests from false ceilings. This painting depicts the (most likely untrue) story of when the Roman emperor, Elagabalus, also known as Heliogabalus, threw a banquet dinner and decided to cover his guests with flowers. His reign was full of scandal and indulgence, even among his contemporaries, and he is commonly remembered as one of the worst Roman emperors to have served. It was commissioned by the British politician and civil engineer, Sir John Aird.Įlagabalus, served as the Roman emperor from 218 until he was assassinated at just 18 years old in 222. This gorgeous oil on canvas painting, titled “The Roses of Heliogabalus”, was painted in 1888 by the Academic Dutch artist, Lawrence Alma-Tadema. “The Roses of Heliogabalus”, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1888, oil on canvas.

Alma tadema lawrence