Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, , . n hands. His library is catalogued andclassified by himself. The whole of his corre-spondence—a big slice out of the workingday—is conducted by himself unaided. Andwoe betide the unwary visitor who calls in themorning hours whilst Alma-Tadema is work-ing ! Every hour of the precious daylight isdedicated to his calling when he is at workupon a picture. Alma-Tadema has had but few pupils, andof these by far the most prominent are hisown wife, his cousin, H. W. Mesdag, andthe Hon. John Collier. He is, says MissZimmern, the kindest and most large-hearted of t
Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, , . n hands. His library is catalogued andclassified by himself. The whole of his corre-spondence—a big slice out of the workingday—is conducted by himself unaided. Andwoe betide the unwary visitor who calls in themorning hours whilst Alma-Tadema is work-ing ! Every hour of the precious daylight isdedicated to his calling when he is at workupon a picture. Alma-Tadema has had but few pupils, andof these by far the most prominent are hisown wife, his cousin, H. W. Mesdag, andthe Hon. John Collier. He is, says MissZimmern, the kindest and most large-hearted of teachers. His appreciation of theworks of others is wide and sincere, and nomatter how different this work may be fromhis own style and taste, he gives to it its duemeed of praise, provided it be executed withhonest intent. London society is familiar withthis wiry, strong-set figure, with the face ofkindly comeliness, with the cheery voice, withthe frank, observant eye, the merry quips andcranks, the energy, the intense love of all. s s ^6 «* AN APPRECIATION. 121 that is great and good and lovely. To be withhim is to feel invigorated, for he seems to haveso much superfluous vitality that he is ableto dispense it to his surroundings. Of his arthe rarely speaks, and still more rarely of hisart theories. Indeed, he is no theorist, thoughhe knows perfectly well at what end he aims,and his art, like his personality, is homogeneousthroughout. But it is not in his nature toanalyse ; he follows his instincts, and these aretrue and right. To thine own self be true has been his life motto, and faithfully has heserved it. His friend the late Georg Ebers has lefton record the following beautifully expressedtribute to the artist, than which nothing couldbe more simply or sincerely rendered : Thetree shall be known by its fruits ; whoever knowsthese, knows the man himself. In my opinion,the time for a complete picture of Tademaspersonality has not yet arrived ; he is still,thank God, amo
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