Sir Lawrence's "The Roses of Helliogabalus"

I cannot deny that Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema is my OOObbaaa favorite artist. I am always in awe of his work. His 'magisteriis' are so delicate and detailed. Perfection beyond question! His Roman tribute is grandmunchious ( A ’Steph’ word self-created to express the enormity of my pleasure)

Mmmmmm .. So exquisite and sublime I can almost inhale the seraphic scent exhaled by the rose petals displayed in: "The Roses of Heliogabalus" .The master of fastidious detail......

Roses of Heliogabalus - Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema 1888: Now Arties... this super fragrant creation depicts 'Marcus Aurelius' A debauched psychotic, also known as 'Heliogabalus' by his friends. Heliogabalus became Emperor at 14, married five times, led a life of sinful sexual scandal and religious controversy and was finally assassinated by 18!! Here, in this amazing paintings, we are witness of one of his  debauched parties (An interesting doo to attend no doubt!!) he has smothered his party guests with rose petals....Alma Tadema ,being a meticulous perfectionist, wanted each petal to be as perfectly realistic as possible, and had shipments of rose petals sent to him from the Riviera to give his painting full realistic justice. ....AHHH, the fragrance must of been amazing..

  

Alma-Tadema was an accomplished sculpture too....Here is his version of the Emperor Heliogabalus. Depicted here as a young man with delicate features, large eyes and a slight moustache. Alma-Tadema forever the perfectionist based his sculpture on the only securely identified portrait of Heliogabalus in the Capitoline Museum, Rome. My idol Oscar Wilde refers to this bust of art as "fin de siècle fashions of youth and beauty" in a letter from Italy to Leonard Smithers. Here in Wilde’s words…

"I saw the bust of a young man of grave, somewhat severe beauty, and rather like a young Oxonian of a very charming kind, the expression of pride and ennui (boredom).It was the Emperor Heliogabalus; it was the most curious and has me filled with a desire to write his life."
OOOO Only Wilde could see such beauty and feel such lust for a bust of the stone sculptured variety !