The Lady of Shalott

"The Lady of Shalott" is a romantic poem by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892).

Illustrations of the poem

The poem was particularly popular amongst artists of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, several of whom made paintings based on episodes from the poem. In the 1857 Moxon edition of Tennyson's works, it was illustrated by both William Holman Hunt and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Hunt depicted the moment when the Lady turns to see Lancelot. Rossetti depicted Lancelot's contemplation of her 'lovely face'. Neither illustration pleased Tennyson, who took Hunt to task for depicting the Lady caught in the threads of her tapestry, something which is not described in the poem. Hunt explained that he wanted to sum up the whole poem in a single image, and that the entrapment by the threads suggested her "weird fate". The scene fascinated Hunt, who returned to the composition at points throughout his life, finally painting a large scale version shortly before his death. He required assistants as he was too frail to complete it himself. This deeply conceived evocation of the Lady, ensnared within the perfect rounds of her woven reality (illustration, above left), is an apt illustration of the mythology of the weaving arts.

Related Topics:
Pre-Raphaelite - Moxon - William Holman Hunt - Dante Gabriel Rossetti - Mythology of the weaving arts

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In 1894, the poem inspired John William Waterhouse to paint the Lady of Shalott adrift in her funeral boat (illustration, above right). He also painted a variant of Hunt's composition.

Related Topics:
1894 - John William Waterhouse

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The poem also inspired Anne Shirley, in Anne of Green Gables, to board a rowing boat. The poem was also performed in an abridged format by Celtic artist Loreena McKennitt in her album The Visit.

Related Topics:
Anne Shirley - Anne of Green Gables - Celt - Loreena McKennitt

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