オランダ北部フリースラントの村に生まれ、ベルギーのアントワープの美術アカデミーで学びました。1870年にロンドンへ移り住み、のちにイギリス国籍をとります。古代ローマやギリシャ、エジプトの人々の暮らしを、まるで見てきたかのように描いて大人気に。とくに、ひんやりとかがやく大理石の表現は見事でした。1899年にはナイトの称号をさずかっています。
Alma-Tadema was born in a village in Friesland, in the northern Netherlands, and studied at the Academy in Antwerp, Belgium. In 1870 he moved to London and later became a British citizen. He became very popular for scenes of everyday life in ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt, painted as if he had been there himself. His cool, shining marble was especially admired. In 1899 he was knighted.
