Let’s go back to the Petit Palais in Paris to take a look at this amazing Tadema painting. I didn’t know that The Petit Palais had some English artists in their collection so I was thrilled when I found they had some Waterhouse and Tadema paintings on display (and a Leighton that I’ll share in a future post!)

This painting has a rather interesting title: Love’s Jewelled Fetter (The Betrothal Ring)

The painting’s subject was inspired by a book titled The Amazon, written by Tadema’s friend and historian, Carel Vosmaer. The main character of the book was a Dutch artist based on Tadema! It was a rather satisfying full circle of inspiration!


I love how Tadema renders all the fine details in his paintings. Just look at the bracelet as well as the necklace in the capture below.

One thing that you’ll notice looking at the body of Tadema’s is he loves to add in little vignettes of scenes in the backgrounds. there is often a window or doorway you can see through to some highly detailed and finely painted scene. Tadema’s paintings really reward close inspection.

More beautiful details from the painting. I don’t know that anyone has painted more rose petals than Tadema! Just check out his painting of The Roses of Heliogabalus. Ha! He was a glutton for fine, repetitive details!

In additional to the jewelry and vignettes, Tadema had a great collection of artifacts, or photos of artifacts that he drew upon to get the details as accurate as possible. The fine inlay and rendering on the legs of this lounge are inspiring too!

 

Here we get to see the woman on the right admiring the ring that is, if not the focus of the painting, at least the subject in title. The costuming of the woman here is quite elegant and beautiful. I love that gray blue color. And notice the delicately rendered hands and how the temperatures shift as you move from face, to chest to arms to hands.

I hope you enjoyed these images. Make sure to open them in another tab or click on them to see them at their full size!

Howard