The Lady of Shalott (painting)

The Lady of Shalott (painting) is the title of several paintings based on the 1832 poem of the same name by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The poem tells the story of Elaine of Astolat, a woman imprisoned in a tower on the island of Shalott near Camelot. She is under a curse that forbids her from looking directly out of the window. Instead, she must view the world through a mirror and weave what she sees into her tapestry.

The most famous painting titled "The Lady of Shalott" is by John William Waterhouse, completed in 1888. This painting depicts Elaine in a boat, drifting towards Camelot, having broken the curse by looking directly at Sir Lancelot. The tapestry she was weaving is undone, and she holds a candle and a crucifix. Waterhouse painted two other versions of the subject in 1894 and 1915.

Other artists who have depicted scenes from Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" include William Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Elizabeth Siddal. These paintings often focus on different moments from the poem, such as Elaine weaving, looking in the mirror, or her dead body arriving in Camelot. The subject has been popular among Pre-Raphaelite artists due to its themes of beauty, isolation, forbidden love, and death. The Waterhouse version is particularly recognized for its depiction of the tragic consequences of defying the curse and its evocative atmosphere.