Arty Farty Friday ~ Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema welcomes Spring

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema: he wasn't born at Spring Equinox, but he did seem to enjoy painting in springtime mode. To welcome our 2014 spring, a few of his paintings, then a look at his natal chart.

Flora: Spring in the Gardens of the Villa Borghese

 Promise of Spring

 Return of the Flowers

 The Year's at the Spring. All's Right with the World

 Spring

 Detail from Spring (above)

 Spring Flowers

Lawrence Alma-Tadema was born in the Netherlands on 8 January 1836, but spent much of his adult life in Britain, became a naturalised British subject in 1873. He was knighted in 1899.

A glance through images of dozens of his works at Google Image will indicate that his favourite subject was the female of the species. He painted women nude, barely covered or beautifully clothed in draperies and gowns of the distant past, most are languidly posed against classical backdrops of white marble, often making stark contrast with the blue Mediterranean behind. He was on the same artistic wavelength as the major Pre-Raphaelites. His style was influenced greatly by what he'd seen during a visit to Italy in 1863; there a fascination with Greek and Roman antiquity and Egyptian archaeology was awakened. He'd mix this fascination with a sense of escapism and romance. For some years his paintings captivated the 19th century public. Wealth and fame followed, but soon styles and tastes were to change. His work steadily lost favour. Later on his work found a new appreciation in the USA. Hollywood's visions of life in ancient Rome and Greece might have been inspired by some of his paintings.

There's some information on his personality at Wikipedia

For all the quiet charm and erudition of his paintings, Alma-Tadema himself preserved a youthful sense of mischief. He was childlike in his practical jokes and in his sudden bursts of bad temper, which could as suddenly subside into an engaging smile.

In his personal life, Alma-Tadema was an extrovert and had a remarkably warm personality. He had most of the characteristics of a child, coupled with the admirable traits of a consummate professional. A perfectionist, he remained in all respects a diligent, if somewhat obsessive and pedantic worker. He was an excellent businessman, and one of the wealthiest artists of the nineteenth century. Alma-Tadema was as firm in money matters as he was with the quality of his work.

As a man, Lawrence Alma-Tadema was a robust, fun loving and rather portly gentleman. There was not a hint of the delicate artist about him; he was a cheerful lover of wine, women and parties.

Alma-Tadema's wife Laura was a talented artist in her own right, as was their daughter Anna.
He died in June of 1912.

Lawrence Alma-Tadema's natal chart with reliable AA rated data from Astrodatabank.

Well now - I'd say he looked more like his Taurus ascendant than his Capricorn Sun or Virgo Moon. As mentioned above "robust... portly... not a hint of the delicate artist...." But Taurus is ruled by Venus planet of the arts.

His warm, extrovert, child-like mischief and practical jokes, as described in the quote above, don't easily fit with Capricorn or Virgo (his main signature signs), they do sound more akin to Leo but none of his planets reside there. His three planets in Aquarius, including its ruler, Uranus, along with Venus and Neptune the two creative planets, were seemingly folding some extra quirk into his innate Earthiness, the mix emerged as above.

"Sudden bursts of bad temper"...Sun conjunct Mars?

"A cheerful lover of wine, women and parties"... his Jupiter in Cancer?

Hang on though - here comes the true Capricorn in his nature: "He was an excellent businessman, and one of the wealthiest artists of the nineteenth century. Alma-Tadema was as firm in money matters as he was with the quality of his work." And Virgo: "A perfectionist, he remained in all respects a diligent, if somewhat obsessive and pedantic worker."

It almost felt as though whoever in Wikipedia wrote the paragraphs pertaining to his personality knew all about astrology!