The Way to the Temple

Alma-Tadema’s painting creates a classical scene that many artists were fond of: the doorway (or portico) of an ancient Greek temple. In the foreground is a priestess selling statuettes that visitors can leave inside as an offering to the gods. Beyond the doorway is a glimpse of a procession in honour of Dionysius, the ancient Greek god of wine, fertility, ritual madness, religious ecstasy and theatre. Alma-Tadema was well-known for his vivid, sensuous imaginings of classical life; Punch cartoon referred to him as the “marbellous painter”.