Nineteenth-Century European
The Exedra Seat, 1869
Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (English, 1836-1912) Oil on panel
Alma-Tadema’s historical imagination is showcased in this idealized classical scene. The artist’s extensive collection of archeological photographs included an image of this exedra (semicircular) bench on the tomb of the Mamia on Pompeii’s Via dei Sepulcri. The eruption of Vesuvius – spelling the city’s doom – is foreshadowed by the citizens watching the horizon at right, and by the melancholy mood of the slave boy seated in the foreground.
The Defense of Paris, 1871
Gustave Doré (French, 1832-1883) Oil on canvas
This is one of three large canvases Doré painted to commemorate the three-month Prussian siege of Paris during the winter of 1870-71. The artist's choice of grisaille (monochrome) rendering has a triple effect. First, it heightens the visual presence of the tricolor flag held by the central figure representing France. Secondly, the allegorical group is made to resemble a monumental sculptural frieze, akin to those on the Arc de triomphe. Finally, the strong graphic effect of the image calls to mind Doré's primary career as the most prolific engraver-illustrator of his era.