Now, this guy, my guy, John, W. Waterhouse is an incredible man. And this painting is incredible too. I really like it. It is based on the 1832 Poem. ➶➶➶➶➶ History Lesson➷➷➷➷➷ Now for all those of you who don't know anything about History, or the poem "The Lady of Shalott". I am here. To be exact this poem, written by poet (I'm calling him that for today's purpose) Lord Alfred Tennyson, 1rst baron of Tennyson. This guy was a Poet Laureate of Queen Victoria's court. Anyways, coming back to Waterhouse, we know that this man was deeply affected from this poem, because he made three pieces from the poem. 1888, this one. 1894, and 1915. It depicts a scene from Tennyson's poem in which the poet describes the plight and the predicament of a young woman, loosely based on the figure of Elaine of Astolat from medieval Arthurian legend, who yearned with an unrequited love for the knight Sir Lancelot, isolated under an undisclosed curse in a tower near King Arthur's Camelot. According to Tennyson's version of the legend, the Lady of Shalott was forbidden to look directly at reality or the outside world; instead, she was doomed to view the world through a mirror and weave what she saw into tapestry. Her despair was heightened when she saw loving couples entwined in the far distance, and she spent her days and nights aching for a return to normal. One day the Lady's mirror revealed Sir Lancelot passing by on his horse. When she impetuously took three paces across the room and looked at him, the mirror cracked, and she realised that the curse had befallen her. The lady escaped by boat during an autumn storm, inscribing 'The Lady of Shalott' on the prow. As she sailed towards Camelot and certain death, she sang a lament. Her frozen body was found shortly afterwards by the knights and ladies of Camelot, one of whom is Lancelot, who prayed to God to have mercy on her soul. This scene is namely from verse IV. 【｡_｡】Observe the Painting 【｡_｡】 1. This is an oil painting. Not hard to guess. But the texture? Pre-Raphaelite, with elements of Romanticism. Fluid and graceful lines were used, especially in the depiction of the Lady's flowing hair and the folds of her dress. While realistic and naturalistic forms, with a focus on the human figure and natural surroundings. 2. Use of depth and perspective to create a sense of three-dimensionality. The composition leads the viewer's eye through the scene, from the Lady to the background. Skillful use of light and shadow to create mood and highlight important elements, such as the Lady's face and the candles. 3. Bright, vivid colors typical of the Pre-Raphaelite style. The contrast between the Lady's white dress and the darker background enhances the dramatic effect. 4. Symbolism: I. The Lady is seated on a tapestry she wove, symbolizing her life's work. A lantern and a crucifix are placed at the front of the boat. II. Three candles are present, with two already blown out, signifying her impending death. III. The painting features bright colors typical of the Pre-Raphaelite style. Naturalistic details include swallows and water plants
Now, look, the story is, interesting to say at the very least. But the real problem here is how obsessed was he with the Lady of Shalott poem? Three different paintings? That aside, the painting is...not so fun. Not for me. It is one of his most famous works. Now it was adopted in the whole Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood style adoption thing, which by the way, was I don't know what. But I do know, he did this in that style, even though he existed ages after. Totally does not mean he was infatuated with the poem. The Lady of Shalott was donated to the public by Sir Henry Tate in 1894 and is usually on display in Tate Britain, London, in room 1840.
