Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Lawrence Alma-Tadema, the painter who loved ancient stories, here has picked a story of Pyramus and Thisbe, known thanks to Ovid. They both lived in Babylonia and from the time they were young children, they were neighbors. Their story is a bit like Romeo and Juliet's—they fell in love but their families were unfriendly to each other. The youngsters had to hide their affection for each other. Eventually, Pyramus and Thisbe became tired of having their relationship remain a mystery. Even though they had an extraordinary meeting place at a divider between their homes, it was not enough. They decided to meet near a tomb under a mulberry tree and state their feelings for each other. This is the stage at which Alma Tadema captures their relationship in his composition.
Their story ended tragically; Pyramus thinking that Thisbe was killed by a lion, kills himself. Thisbe, when she revives, sees the dead Pyramus and stabs herself with the same sword.