Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912), Summer Offering, 1911, oil on panel, 14 ¼ x 20 ¾ inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, gift of F. Dean Berry, 1978.
A group portrait of the artist’s family (his daughters Anna and Lawrence in the center and on the right; his late wife Laura, on the left) captures the color and beauty of a Summer day. This is not, however, a simple portrayal of the season, but rather a symbolic exploration of the passing of time. The artist’s daughters offer their lively blossoms, suggesting that they are in the Summer of their lives. The artist’s deceased wife wears a crown of wilting blooms and fades in the background, just as Summer transitions into Autumn.