Lady of Shallot by Waterhouse

Waterhouse: An English painter who was born in Rome to English parents and was associated with the Royal Academy of Art, and therefore knew their vices them firsthand.  Though the themes and style of his paintings can be categorized as Pre-Raphaelite, many people consider him to instead by a neo-classical artist because of his focus on classic Italian subject matter.  He created over 200 paintings, mostly with Roman mythological and historical themes.  A common focus of his paintings is Femme fatale.  Waterhouse was popular while he was alive, which was unusual for most artists.  His paintings were generally on a larger scale than many painters, with bold brushwork and harsher than usual shadows.

Lady of Shalott:
Description: This painting depicts a worried woman from the kingdom of Shallott sailing in a small boat towards Camelot.  A variety of flora can be seen growing around the river.  Adorning the boat is a tapestry with images of herself sailing toward Lancelot, who is surrounded by his knights.  On the front of the boat is a cross with Jesus hanging from it, surrounded by candles.  Behind the boat are the stairs leading away from where the boat was previously docked.  The woman herself is in a white, gilded cloak.  One of the most important parts of the painting that Waterhouse included is the emotion in the woman’s face.   “Waterhouse fully captured the Lady in her crazed, frantic state, desperately trying to reach Camelot, dying as she goes.”   

Historical: Painted in 1888 by Waterhouse.  This painting is based on The Lady of Shalott, a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson.  The poem, in tern, was based on an old King Arthur Legend of a girl who would have a curse befall her if she looked to Camelot.  Pursuing Knight Lancelot, she broke the rule and was cursed.  In panic, the lady boards a ship and sets sail for Camelot, but dies just before reaching its shores.  This was said to be one of the signs signaling the fall of Camelot.

Pre-Raphaelite Themes: His focus on beautiful women, devotion to painting old legends and myths, and liking for choosing tragic or brutal stories and yet finding the beauty or calm in them all fit the styles of both Waterhouse and Pre-Raphaelitism in general.