The Lady of Shalott

THE MESSAGE BEHIND THE BEAUTY. Words | Jayne Goodman

Art is fascinating to me because there is so much more to it than meets the eye. To me, art is only partly about recording your surroundings or subject on a canvas. The other part is the message the painter hides throughout his work. When strolling through an art gallery, you can walk by a beautiful painting and say to yourself, “Wow, that’s pretty,” and move on, but so much is missed by doing that. Art is something that can be appreciated on a surface level but it is so much more impressive and beautiful when you understand the thought behind it.

All of that to say, as seen by examining “The Lady of Shalott” by John William Waterhouse, art has a deeper meaning. This painting was inspired by an Alfred Lord Tennyson poem based on an Arthurian legend where a young maiden is cursed to look upon the outside world from only her mirror. The young girl must record what she observes on the intricate tapestries she weaves daily. One day, she sees Sir Lancelot and tears her eyes away from the mirror to see the knight for herself. Knowing the curse is now upon her, the maiden escapes her prison to get one real look at the world. She gets into a boat and perishes as the river carries her to her coveted Camelot.

The forlorn face the women wears now holds a deeper sadness when you look at it. As she approaches death in her floating coffin, you can’t help but sympathize with her. Her life lacked authenticity, a fear I think many of us have. Isolation ultimately detached her from reality until the fleeting sight of someone different jolted her awake and gave her the boldness to overcome her fear. She got to glimpse the real world with her own eyes, even though it meant death would soon follow.

This painting beautifully echoes the message of the poem, but I think it unintentionally echoes something else. When I think of elements of isolation followed by an awareness of reality, I can’t help but think of the Gospel. We too were all alone in our sins and detached from the Truth, and when we caught a glimpse of Jesus, we were jolted awake. I hope we too are emboldened to follow after Him, even if it results in death, because knowing the Truth makes death worth it.

Even in art, we can catch glimpses and fragments of life and the Truth. The question is, will you only glance at it as you walk by, or will you go deeper than surface level to understand?