John William Waterhouse
The Lady of Shallot
1888
John Waterhouse was born in 1849, sufficiently far from the 17th century to not feel a need to reject the classical world. Nevertheless, like many of his contemporaries, he was taken up with Middle Ages. More strictly they were fascinated by a fantasy of the Middle Ages. Historical studies were not what they might be today, though, and no-one was in a position to be critical.
He was also working at a time when Great Britain was still reeling from the stupendous changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution. In a society where for the first time more people lived in towns than in villages, there was a hunger for a golden past, even if it never existed. This had a profound effect on the arts generally - think the Houses of Parliament (1840 - 70) or Tennyson's Idylls of the King (1859 - 85).
This painting's subject was taken from one of Tennyson's poems, the Lady of Shallot (itself published years before Waterhouse was born).
Willows whiten, aspens shiver.
The sunbeam showers break and quiver
In the stream that runneth ever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Four grey walls, and four grey towers
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott.
Underneath the bearded barley,
The reaper, reaping late and early,
Hears her ever chanting cheerly,
Like an angel, singing clearly,
O'er the stream of Camelot.
Piling the sheaves in furrows airy,
Beneath the moon, the reaper weary
Listening whispers, ' 'Tis the fairy,
Lady of Shalott.'
The Lady has been imprisoned in a high tower on an island in a river and cursed (stay with me on this) so that she can only view the world via a mirror in her room. On the day she looks directly out of the room, she will die. One day Sir Launcelot passes her tower, and she cannot resist looking out of the window.
In the stormy east-wind straining,
The pale yellow woods were waning,
The broad stream in his banks complaining,
Heavily the low sky raining
Over tower'd Camelot;
Outside the isle a shallow boat
Beneath a willow lay afloat,
Below the carven stern she wrote,
The Lady of Shalott.
A longdrawn carol, mournful, holy,
She chanted loudly, chanted lowly,
Till her eyes were darken'd wholly,
And her smooth face sharpen'd slowly,
Turn'd to tower'd Camelot:
For ere she reach'd upon the tide
The first house by the water-side,
Singing in her song she died,
The Lady of Shalott.
And couldn't that happen to anyone of us?
More to the point, it's clear how this subject appealed to the romantic sense: tragedy, fate, death. Throughout his working life, Waterhouse was to create a number of canvases featuring women and death (and also water ...).
Miranda and the Tempest
1916
Circe Invidiosa
?
The Siren
1900?