Sir Galahad
Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Eleanor Siddal, Mrs Dante Gabriel Rossetti (Holborn 1829 – Chatham Place, London 1862)
Category
Art / Drawings and watercolours
Date
1860
Materials
Paper, Pencil
Measurements
205 x 170 mm
Order this imageCollection
Wightwick Manor, West Midlands
NT 1291774
Summary
Pencil drawing - Pencil (to border) An angel appearing to Sir Galahad kneeling before a crucifix. Large cream card mount.
Full description
Tennyson, whose poem inspired this drawing, described Sir Galahad as: 'intended for something of a male counterpart to St. Agnes.' Like the saint Galahad was virginal and pious. The focus of Tennyson's poem, is on contemplation not action, and so Siddal depicts Sir Galahad not in battle but praying. This image of Galahad moves away from the traditional masculine heroic Knight and can be compared to her drawings of St. Cecilia- one of which is on the reverse of this drawing. To economise on paper Siddal drew on both sides of some sheets.Sir Galahad is a symbol of devoted striving and sacrifice and represents the isolation often felt by artists. Medieval subjects became an important inspiration for the Pre-Raphaelite artists. These drawings of Sir Galahad are some of the earliest representations of Arthurian themes in Pre-Raphaelite art, indicating that Siddal was among the first to develop the idea. In the early 19th century there was great enthusiasm for the Middle Ages, and original medieval texts such as Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur were reprinted. English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), wrote the poem Sir Galahad, which was published in 1842 as part of a collection of poetry entitled English Idyls, and Other Poems. It captured the Victorian imagination, and became a kind of national poem. Sir Galahad, Sir Launcelot’s son, was the only Knight considered worthy of attaining the Grail, due to his chastity and piety. The Grail was said to be the cup from the Last Supper which was used at the Crucifixion to receive blood flowing from Christ’s side. A finished watercolour for Sir Galahad and the Holy Grail, a collaboration between Siddal and Rossetti, shows the two artists working together. However, the sketches for it all seem to have been executed by Siddal. This drawing is recto-verso with 1291773.
Provenance
Probably Charles Fairfax Murray; purchased Sotherby's 15 February 1961, part of lot 6 (an album of drawings and sketches mostly by Elizabeth Siddal); purchased by Sir Geoffrey Mander, c. £120 - £170 the lot. (Sir Geoffrey Mander later sold 6 of the pictures in the purchased lot to Jeremy Maas, including Siddal's Lady of Shallott); transfderred to the National Trust on the death of Rosalie Glynn Grylls, Lady Mander (1905 - 1988)
Makers and roles
Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Eleanor Siddal, Mrs Dante Gabriel Rossetti (Holborn 1829 – Chatham Place, London 1862), artist
Exhibition history
The Legend of King Arthur: A Pre-Raphaelite Love Story, William Morris Gallery, London , 2022 - 2023 The Legend of King Arthur: A Pre-Raphaelite Love Story, Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery, Cumbria, 2022 - 2023 The Legend of King Arthur: A Pre-Raphaelite Love Story, Falmouth Art Gallery, 2022 - 2023