A Corner of the Gardens of the Villa Borghese

Lawrence Alma-Tadema's A Corner of the Gardens of the Villa Borghese (1876, Op. CXLVI) departs slightly from his usual ancient world subjects to depict the famous Renaissance gardens of one of Rome's great noble estates. By the 1870s the Villa Borghese gardens had become one of Rome's most visited public spaces, and Alma-Tadema — a meticulous researcher of antiquity deeply attentive to his settings — would have visited them during his Italian journeys. The painting's Ashmolean provenance suggests it entered an important British collection through the period taste for Alma-Tadema's beautifully crafted works.

Alma-Tadema renders the garden's stone surfaces, fountains, and architectural elements with his characteristic geological precision, the specific textures of travertine and marble distinguished with careful observation. The warm Roman light floods the scene, creating sharp contrasts between sun and shadow on the stone surfaces.