John William Waterhouse (1849-1917)
The English painter J.W. Waterhouse was initially drawn to painting neo-classical works due to Alma-Tadema’s success. Later on, his style and choice of subject matter were however more aligned with the Pre-Raphaelites. His most famous painting ‘The Lady of Shalott’, inspired by the eponymous poem by Tennyson, is a good example of this. The poem was based on Arthurian legend and relates how a noblewoman who was only allowed to view the world through a mirror fell hopelessly in love with Sir Lancelot. She tried to escape her curse, but paid with her life.
