The author looks at the ways in which Alma-Tadema's stylish and sophisticated paintings captured the nostalgic longing of many affluent and educated Victorian audiences. This exploration penetrates beyond the superficiality of what many writers have seen as merely pretty pictures of "Victorians in togas". Using her training as a Classicist, the author observes details about Alma-Tadema's paintings that have escaped the notice of other scholars. Barrow, for instance, studies a painting and sees the references the artist made to Classical art. And it is precisely these astute assessments that make this book a revelation.

Barrow offers more than intriguing insights into the artist's paintings, however. Perhaps more importantly, she proposes ideas that lead to a critical reevaluation of Alma-Tadema's work. These scholarly observations make the book Lawrence Alma-Tadema a true treasure.

In addition to the abundant information about the artist and his paintings, there is much more to recommend this brilliant book. It is graced with a generous number of stunning images, with 157 illustrations in color and 36 in black and white. There is also a good bibliography that includes references to exhibitions of Alma-Tadema's works, as well as a list of books, articles, and Classical texts.