The Balneator by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema
1836-1912 | Dutch

The Balneator

Signed and inscribed "L Alma Tadema. op CLXXVI." (lower right)
Pencil and watercolor with scratching out on paper on board

This exceptional work by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema depicts a Roman bath attendant, executed with the meticulous accuracy and technical brilliance that established the artist as the preeminent painter of classical antiquity in Victorian Britain. Created circa 1876 during Alma-Tadema's mature period, The Balneator demonstrates his remarkable ability to achieve oil painting effects in the challenging medium of watercolor.

Historically, a balneator was a bath attendant in Ancient Rome who assisted bathers in the caldarium, the hottest room of Roman bath complexes. Using sponges, strigils and specialized instruments, these attendants applied oils to bathers' skin and scraped them clean—an early form of cleansing that preceded modern soap. Alma-Tadema's fascination with Roman baths intensified around 1875 following his acquisition of extensive photographs documenting Pompeii and the archaeological treasures of its museum in Naples.

Executed in pencil and watercolor with a unique scratching out technique, this work showcases Alma-Tadema's legendary skill in rendering splendid interiors. Through subtle gradations of color and tone, he contrasts different types and colors of marble, creating a convincing architectural environment. The lifelike texture of the figure's costume tassels is a result of the artist's innovative technique of scratching horizontal lines directly into the paper, achieving remarkably convincing textile detail.

This work was first exhibited at the Society of Painters in Water-Colours winter exhibition of 1876-1877 alongside its accompanying work The Balneatrix, depicting a female bath attendant. Critics praised the work for achieving the same highly finished quality as Alma-Tadema's oil paintings and for his "consummate ability in the depiction of marbles and interiors." Reviews appeared in major London publications, including The Art Journal, The Globe, The Spectator and Illustrated London News.

The work's provenance traces directly from the artist through respected London dealers Pilgeram & Lefèvre in 1877, subsequently passing through important private collections. The painting has been extensively documented in literature, including Vern Swanson's definitive catalogue raisonné and Robert Barrow's comprehensive monograph. 

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema was one of the most influential artists of the 19th century and perhaps art history’s greatest Neoclassical painter. During a career that spanned more than 60 years, he painted distinctive and “real to life” depictions of classical Greek and Roman antiquity. In 1852, he entered the Royal Academy of Antwerp in Belgium, and he devoted himself to thoroughly researching his subjects, striving for accuracy down to the smallest detail. It was a habit that would persist throughout his career and earn him great success during his lifetime.

In 1870, Alma-Tadema settled in England, where his Neoclassical works were particularly prized. He earned gold medals and highest honors in Amsterdam, at the Royal Academy, the Paris Salon and the 1867 Exposition Universelle, among countless others. Widely celebrated and admired, Queen Victoria herself awarded him British citizenship in 1873 and granted him knighthood in 1899. Today, his works are heralded as a significant part of art history, with his works gracing the walls of many major international museums, including Tate Britain, the Rijksmuseum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Circa 1876

Paper: 14 3/4“ high x 10 3/4” wide (37.47 x 27.31 cm)
Framed: 21 1/2“ high x 17 1/8” wide x 2“ deep (69.75 x 54.61 x 5.08 cm) 

Provenance:
The artist
With Pilgeram & Lefèvre, London, acquired directly from the above, 1877
Private collection, acquired in 1997
Private collection, California
Private collection, California
M.S. Rau, New Orleans

Literature:
"Society of Painters in Water Colours," The Globe, London, 5 December 1876, p. 6.
"Art Exhibition in London," The Glasgow Herald, Glasgow, 7 December 1876, p. 3.
"Society of Painters in Water Colours," The Daily News, London, 8 December 1876, p. 2.
"Art," The Spectator, London, 9 December 1876, p. 1541.
"Fine Arts," Illustrated London News, London, 9 December 1876, no. 1950, vol. LXIX,p. 562.
"Society of Painters in Water Colours," The Graphic, London, 9 December 1876, p. 578.
"Winter Exhibition of the Society of Painters in Water-Colours," The Athenaeum, London, 9 December 1876, p. 767.
"Water-Colour Exhibitions," The Saturday Review, London, 16 December 1876, p. 756.
E. W. Godwin, "Afternoon Strolls," The Architect, London, 23 December 1876, p. 364.
C. H. Ross, ed., "Winter Exhibition of the Society of Painters in Water Colours," Judy, vol. XX, London, 27 December 1876, p. 108.
L. Robinson, "Correspondance D'Angleterre," La Chronique des arts, Paris, 24 February 1877, p. 74.
"Fine Arts," Illustrated London News, London, 1 December 1877, no. 2003, vol. LXXI, p. 534.
C. E. Pascoe, "London Exhibitions," The Art Journal, vol. 3, London, 1887, p. 60.
"Winter Exhibitions," The Art Journal, vol. 8, London, 1887, p. 55.
R. Dircks, "Sir L. Alma-Tadema O.M., R.A., R.W.S.," The Art Journal, London, December 1910, p. 30.
V. G. Swanson, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, London, 1977, p. 138.
R. Borger, Drei Klassizisten: Alma Tadema, Ebers, Vosmaer, Leiden, 1978, p. 11, no. 176.
V. G. Swanson, The Biography and Catalogue Raisonné of the Paintings of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, London, 1990, p. 196, under no. 217.
R. J. Barrow, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, London and New York, 2001, pp. 99, 102, no. 95, illustrated.
B. Massabò, Albingaunum: itinerari archeologici di Albenga, Genoa, 2004, p. 102, illustrated.

Exhibited:
London, Society of Painters and Water-Colours, Winter Exhibition, 1876-1877, no. 332.
London, Dudley Gallery, Winter Exhibition, December 1877.
Los Angeles, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Luminous Paper: British Watercolors and Drawings, 19 July-23 October 2011, no. 27.