Entrance of the Theatre

We are standing in front of the entrance of a Roman theatre where we see a visitor being helped out of a bronze cart, while other visitors are greeting one another on the steps.
On his honeymoon, Alma Tadema became fascinated with classical antiquity. He made detailed drawings of ancient ruins and excavated objects exhibited in museums. He also built up an enormous collection of photographs, books and objects and all kind of other information on this period, varying from roman hairstyles and jewellery to architectural details in buildings.
It was this kind of paintings of ancient classical scenes that made Alma Tadema famous. To make this painting as realistic as possible he even painted the casting list of the actors performing in the play on the wall behind the cart.