I really like the lines and energy within 'The Lady of Shallot' so I have focused on them and exaggerated the strings of her thread as it spirals round her figure. I used one of the papers I had gathered for a rustic look as it contains pattern much like her clothing while keeping a sepia, golden theme allowing the thread to stand out.

I saw these while out in Manchester the other day and took a photo as they inspired me visually. The Soup Kitchen display is very art Nouveau styled and uses a simple pastel pallet overall while the silver tree wall adornment follows a similar theme but has been executed differently using 3D shapes and swirls while referring to the Art Nouveau styled natural inspirations.     


I photographed both as they both will most likely help inspire me at a later date. 

I was also scrolling through some backgrounds on my phone when I came across the pale green and white polka  dot pattern. I found I quite liked this and was surprised to find the exact same pattern but reversed adorning the walls of Krsipy Kreme ;]

It's simplistic but very calming and appropriate

The Lady of Shallot 

1886-1905

"She left the web, she left the loom,
She made three paces through the room,
She saw the water-lily bloom,
She saw the helmet and the plume,
She look'd down to Camelot.
Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror crack'd from side to side;
'The curse is come upon me,' cried
The Lady of Shalott."

'The Lady of Shalott' was originally an English ballad by Alfred, Lord Tennyson loosely based around medieval sources such as the Arthurian legend of Elaine of Astolat. Much like several others of his earlier poems - 'Queen Guinevere' and 'Sir Lancelot' he enjoyed Medieval folklore. 

The poem itself has been interpreted in many ways; art critics have suggested it was how Tennyson viewed society - at a distance much like The Lady forced to view the world from the mirror he also had a filtered perception of the world. Feminists have concluded the poem  revolves around the believed station of a Victorian woman and how she is denied to leave her designated area lest punishment be inflicted. 

William Holman Hunt

1827-1910

'The Lady of Shalott' was Hunts final painting due to receding eyesight, the final version was completed with the aid of his assistants. Originally himself and Dante Gabriel Rossetti were approached by Tennyson to illustrate the poem for the Moxon edition of his works. Hunt became fascinated with the tale and painted The Lady caught up within the threads of her tapestry to highlight the estranged life she led, he remained obsessed with the composition and returned to it throughout his life until the final painting was completed in 1905. 

|26/07/2011
/So behind with this!

I wandered Manchester with John to locate a piece to use for our summer project a couple of weeks back;
We ended up finding a fair few ones that reallyyy attracted us - it was getting really hard to decide XD;
such as  'The Master of Frankfurt' due to it's interesting 3 panelled composition and mysterious missing third panel and 'Albert Square Manchester' by Adolphe Valette as it was very close to us in terms of subject matter.

Finally, however, we found 'The Lady of Shalott' within the Manchester Art Gallery by William Holman Hunt and 'La Mort d'Arthur' by James Archer, both of which referred to the time of King Arthur's reign as well as both originating from the 1800's.

Both images consist of background events such as Merlin being informed of Arthur's passing in 'La Mort d'Arthur' and Lord Lancelot galloping outside as portrayed within 'The Lady of Shallot'. I researched both and found far more interesting content in regards to Hunts 'The Lady of Shalott' and I found myself preferring that piece overall - my partner shared the same interest so we decided to focus on that one instead.