Laura Theresa Alma-Tadema (née Epps; 16 April 1852 London – 15 Aug. 1909 Hindhead); English painter specializing in domestic and genre scenes of women and children. She was, from 1871, the second wife of the painter Lawrence Alma-Tadema. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Theresa_Alma-Tadema] ... It was the youngest daughter, born Laura Theresa Epps, who was to become the best-known, as Lady Laura Theresa Alma-Tadema. The year 1869 had been a disaster for the Alma-Tadema family. Although Lawrence’s career as a painter had been starting to flourish, his wife Pauline had not been well for a long time, and died of smallpox. His own health had faltered, but his doctors in Brussels could not agree on a diagnosis. This left him with one option: to go to London to get a second opinion. This he did in Dec. 1869, and was quickly invited to Ford Madox Brown’s house, where he met the two younger Epps girls, then aged 19 and 17. Lawrence fell in love with Laura, the younger, at first sight, although he was nearly 34 himself. He returned to his family in Brussels, still infatuated with young Laura. Then in July 1870, the Franco-Prussian War broke out, and the whole Alma-Tadema family – Lawrence, his two young daughters, and his sister Atje, who acted as housekeeper – fled to London. This gave Lawrence the ideal opportunity to court Laura Theresa Epps. He first offered to teach her to paint, and then made his proposal of marriage. Her father was unhappy, but relented on condition that they got to know each other better.... at the age of only 19 Laura found herself an artist’s wife, step-mother to Laurense and Anna (then 7 and 4 years old), and trying to start her own career as a painter. [https://eclecticlight.co/2016/10/31/laura-theresa-alma-tadema-the-womans-world/] On 15 Aug. 1909 Laura Theresa Alma-Tadema’s died at the age of 57. Lawrence, her husband, was devastated and died three years later. [https://mydailyartdisplay.wordpress.com/2017/10/08/] undefined

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