The Lady of Shalott, c.1886-1905 (oil on panel) (see also 62953)

Inspired by the poem of 1832 by Alfred Lord Tennyson, 'The Lady of Shalott', Hunt's depiction captures the moment after she has broken the rule of the curse forbidding her to look directly at the outside world and, seduced by the Sir Lancelot's joyful singing, has looked into the real world at Sir Lancelot; her tapestry is unravelling and symbolises the chaos and destruction that has now entered her world; behind her are portraits of Christ, on the left in Agony in the Garden and on the right, depicted in Majesty; the frame shows lines from Tennyson's poem;