![]() ![]() Tennyson himself visited Cornwall in 1860 to retrace King Arthur’s footsteps, shortly after he published Idylls of the King, a collection of 12 narrative poems which retell the legend of King Arthur, his knights, his love for Guinevere and her tragic betrayal of him, and the rise and fall of Arthur’s kingdom. The Arthurian legends and their tales of chivalry, courtly love and enchantments held particular fascination for the Victorians. In this study Camelot can be seen clearly in the background, behind the river, but it is not so apparent in the final piece. This preparatory oil sketch is the study for the finished painting that is now in Leeds Art Gallery, and shows the artist working through a process of storytelling. ![]() ![]() Waterhouse catches the fluid moment of Tennyson’s poem when Elaine spins to look out of the window for Lancelot, catching herself in the wool from her tapestry, falling towards the window, clutching her scissors almost like a knight’s sword. The Lady of Shalott (from the poem by Tennyson), unknown date, John William Waterhouse (1849–1917). ![]()
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