In A Rose Garden 

Lawrence Alma-Tadema made this painting, In A Rose Garden, with oil paint on canvas. He built up layers of pigment to achieve a photorealistic depiction of two women in classical garb. Alma-Tadema’s commitment to verisimilitude is evident in his rendering of the marble bench. He used various techniques to create the illusion of texture and depth: glazing, scumbling, and impasto. Glazing involves applying thin, translucent layers of paint to build up color and luminosity, while scumbling entails lightly brushing a layer of broken color over a dry underlayer. Impasto is the process of applying paint thickly, so that it stands up in relief. The labor involved in producing such a polished, illusionistic surface is considerable. And while the subject matter might seem remote from industrial concerns, it is worth remembering that Alma-Tadema was working at a time when the art market was becoming increasingly commercialized. Paintings like this catered to wealthy collectors who wanted to display their refined taste and purchasing power. They were the luxury goods of their day, showcasing both the artist's skill and the patron's affluence.