Portrait of a young man

This is an early work by Alma-Tadema, painted when he was only eighteen. It is signed before he added a hyphen to his surname but not dated. Carol Vosmaer, Alma-Tadema's friend, dated the picture to 1852 but the catalogue to the Leeuwarden sale dates it to 1854. Professor Swanson concurs with that date, as the artist was then living in Antwerp. Professor Swanson suggests that the painting was given to Wester, who lived in Alma-Tadema's home town of Leeuwarden, to demonstrate the artist's progress.

We are grateful to Professor Vern Swanson of the Springville Museum, Utah, for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.