William Holman Hunt and The Lady of Shalott

'The Lady of Shalott' (1886-1905) by William Holman Hunt; The Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford

Tennyson's poem, The Lady of Shalott, has inspired many artists but particularly the artists of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. They shared Tennyson's interest in the Arthurian subject. I love the painting of the Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse (I will do a post on him on the 6th of April!) but I am not familiar with this depiction by William Holman Hunt, born on 2 April 1827. Hunt was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelites. In the beginning he had to endure a lot of criticism, for his work was considered to be ugly and clumsy. Later on he dedicated himself more to religious paintings (after various visits to the Holy Land) and achieved fame. To tell you honestly, I think he is my least favourite Pre-Raphaelite artist (I love Millais and Waterhouse!) but I do like this painting. I like the colours and the many details. And I love the story of the Lady of Shalott! This painting was first exhibited in 1905 and the last of Hunt's works. The moment depicted here is the fateful climax in Tennyson's poem when the Lady of Shalott, while weaving the tapestry, turns to see the image of Lancelot in the mirror. She looks out of the tower's forbidden window and thus causes the curse to descend upon her. Hunt painted this work shortly before his death and needed assistance to complete it since he was too frail to do it alone.