"The Lady of Shalott"

Hi and welcome back to my blog. Today I'm going to share a love of mine. 

My love of the English painter, John William Waterhouse has never wained.  It must have been 25 years ago or so when I discovered him. When I saw the painting "The Lady of Shalott" I immediately had to find out the story behind it. 

The story was written by Lord Tennyson in 1832. It's about a beautiful but stricken woman dying as she floats down a river. The woman, Elaine, is cursed and forbidden to look outside her tower. She can only see the world through a mirror, but when she catches sight of Sir Lancelot, her curse takes hold. 

One Christmas (when Paul and I bought gifts for each other), he had purchased a painting of "The Lady of Shalott" for me. I cried when I opened it.  I hung it in our bedroom. To me it had such a romantic feeling to it. Actually, all of John William Waterhouse's paintings do. They are of women from both ancient Greek mythology and Arthurian legend. He painted the Lady of Shalott in 1888. 

Here it is on the wall on Curtis Drive about 25 years ago. 

Here it is today. Actually a better picture. 

I had lots of items on my bucket list and one was to see the original painting in the Tate Museum in London. It was kind of a funny wish because to me, bucket list items aren't something that really happen. One of my bucket list items was to drive around the country in an RV. Now that I'm 68, I don't see that ever happening. 

BUT! I did get to London and I did see the painting in the Tate Museum!! Paul and I made the trip in 2015. Most of the trip I cried. My dad was born in London and my mom was born in Rhyl,  Northern Wales. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever get to walk the same beach as my mom did as a little girl. Or the same pier my dad did as a young lad. Those are stories for another time. 

Here I am outside the Tate Museum.

And here I am inside the museum next to the original Lady of Shalott!! 

I was so excited to be here in this spot!! 

Recently I looking for some roses to plant in the front flower bed and I can't believe I found a rose named "The Lady of Shalott"!!! It's a David Austin rose and we bought some early this year. 

It's now blooming and that made me think of the painting I have and our trip to London. Here she is in bloom.

They make beautiful cut flowers too. 

My hope is that the rose bushes love it here and eventually we'll get some bigger blooms. They smell delightful and the color is gorgeous!! 

And that's my little story of "The Lady of Shalott". I am now looking for a Waterhouse painting for above my bed 😊.

As always, thanks for stopping by.