Alma-Tadema Record

Netherlands-born Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema became of one of our finest Victorian artists, but toward the end of his career his meticulous paintings were given the raspberry by impercipient art pundits who hailed the trendy tripe of Matisse, Gauguin and Picasso. By 1960 the Newman Gallery couldn't give this masterpiece away: The Finding of Moses (1904)! At a recent Sotheby’s auction in New York, it fetched $35m, more than seven times the pre-sale high estimate of $5m, and a new record for the artist. CLICK to read about the rise and fall and rise again of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema.