Artwork details · 2026-04-08

The Lady of Shalott

by John William Waterhouse · 1888

The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse

Artist

John William Waterhouse was an English painter known for working first in the Academic style and for then embracing the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter. His paintings are known for their depictions of women from ancient Greek mythology, Arthurian legend, and the works of William Shakespeare. A high proportion depict a single young and beautiful woman in a historical costume and setting, though there are some ventures into Orientalist painting and genre painting, still mostly featuring women.

Learn more about John William Waterhouse

Artwork

The Lady of Shalott is a painting of 1888 by the English painter John William Waterhouse. It is a representation of the ending of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's 1832 poem of the same name. Waterhouse painted three versions of this character, in 1888, 1894 and 1915. It is one of his most famous works, which adopted much of the style of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, though Waterhouse was painting several decades after the Brotherhood split up during his early childhood.

Learn more about this painting

Quick facts

Artist
John William Waterhouse
Year
1888
Movement
Romanticism
Country
United Kingdom
Location
National Gallery