Description
The Lady of Shalott tapestry
Pre-Raphaelite tapestries
The Lady of Shalott tapestry finely reproduces the 1888 painting by John William Waterhouse (1849-1917). It is one of three episodes from the poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-92) painted by Waterhouse. The original of this Pre-Rahaelite painting is now at the Tate Gallery. The Lady’s unrequited love for Sir Lancelot was a curse to her and here she flows along the river towards Camelot and her death.
“And down the river’s dim expanse
Like some bold seer in a trance,
Seeing all his own mischance—
With glassy countenance
Did she look to Camelot.
And at the closing of the day
She loosed the chain, and down she lay;
The broad stream bore her far away,
The Lady of Shalott.”
The Lady of Shalott tapestry is one of our finest Pre-Raphaelite tapestries, superbly woven in Belgium in 64% cotton, 19% acrylic, 9% wool and 8% polyester which gives rich fullness of depth. It is fully lined with a rod pocket for easy wall-hanging. It’s one of our favourite tapestries, a view shared by Don and Mona who sent us the photo below of this hanging in the lovely living room of their 1928 home in Los Angeles (the main photo above has more accurate colouring):
Bill and Sandra in Parksville on Vancouver Island wrote “Absolutely love our tapestry “Lady of Shalott”. Beautiful piece of art that anchors our living room. Rec’d tapestry within 1 week of ordering, in the midst of a major unusual snow storm – unbelievable !!”
Here is a close-up detail from this John William Waterhouse tapestry wallhanging:
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