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Left to right, 1963.43.1:Watercolor of woman sitting on bed looking out window, 1963.43.2: Image of figure lying on bed with face hidden by bed frame, 1963.43.3: Circular image of figure kneeling at coffin.

Left to right, 1963.43.1: A light-skinned, long-haired woman sits on a bed draped with green and gold sheets. She holds a mirror in one hand and rests her chin on the other. Her knees brush against a nightstand with an open cabinet door. A green curtain is pulled back from a large window to the left, which she gazes out of. Outside, three figures are gathered under a large tree. 1963.43.2:This image in the set is shaped like an upside down L, framing a block of text. A figure lies on a high, ornate bed covered by gold-toned blankets. A curtain in the same color is pulled across the windows behind the bed. A candle sits on the table next to the bed. The figure’s arms are outside the covers. They are stiff with open fingers. The figure’s head is obscured by the bed frame. 1963.43.3: A light-skinned figure with long black robes and a tonsured haircut kneels on the ground next to a white coffin. The figure holds a round object in his right hand and raises his left hand with an open palm. Behind the coffin is a blue arched wall painted with images of figures with halos. A window with many small square cutouts is set into the wall to the left. A candle burns on the platform next to the coffin.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1963.43.2
People
Lawrence Alma-Tadema, British (Dronryp, Netherlands 1836 - 1912 Wiesbaden, Germany)
Title
The Tragedy of an Honest Wife: Galswintha on Her Death Bed
Classification
Drawings
Work Type
drawing
Date
1875
Culture
British
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/296910

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Watercolor on off-white wove paper (laid down to rectangular sheet)
Dimensions
65.5 x 47.7 cm (25 13/16 x 18 3/4 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of Samuel D. Warren
Accession Year
1963
Object Number
1963.43.2
Division
European and American Art
Contact
am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu
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Publication History

  • United States Centennial Commission, International Exhibition, 1876, Official Catalogue, Art Gallery and Annexes, exh. cat., John R. Nagle & Co. (Philadelphia, PA, 1876), p. 66, no. 45
  • Georg Ebers, Lorenz Alma-Tadema: His Life and Works, W.S. Gottsberger (New York, 1886), pp. 70-71
  • Vern G. Swanson, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema: The Painter of the Victorian Vision of the Ancient World, Ash & Grant Limited (London, 1977), p. 42
  • Vern G. Swanson, The Biography and Catalogue Raisonné of the Paintings of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Garton & Co. (London, 1990), pp. 137, 204
  • Jennifer Gordon Lovett, Empires Restored, Elysium Revisited: The Art of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, exh. cat., Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute (Williamstown, Mass., 1991), cat. no. 16, repr.
  • R.J. Barrow, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Phaidon (London, 2001), pp. 16, 20, pl. 7

Exhibition History

  • International Exhibition, Philadelphia, 1876, Philadelphia, PA, 05/10/1876 - 11/10/1876
  • Empires Restored, Elysium Revisited: The Art of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, 09/21/1991 - 01/05/1992; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, 02/08/1992 - 03/31/1992; Taft Museum, Cincinnati, 04/23/1992 - 06/11/1992
  • 32Q: 2130 19th Century, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 05/02/2022 - 09/19/2022

Related Works

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of European and American Art at am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu