The Story Behind the
Paintings:
"TRISTAN
AND ISOLDE" and the Pre-Raphaelite Painters
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The release of the feature film
"Tristan and Isolde" brought new attention to an old
legend - one that has invited homage by writers and artists throughout
the ages from its beginnings (believed to be around the 5th century
AD.) The legend itself has known countless interpretations: Richard
Wagner wrote his famous opera, many widely-known poets including
Tennyson and Swinburne penned their versions of the story, and
- fortunately for us! - the story served as a rich source of
inspiration to the Old Master painters. Though the legend pre-dates
the often-interpreted stories of Camelot and King Arthur, it
has become so intertwined with those stories as to be commonly
assumed to be a part of them. The simple basis of the legend
is this: a brave young English knight, Tristan, falls in love
with a beautiful Irish princess, Isolde (pronounced ee-ZOLD-uh)
and they share a love potion that binds them forever. The twist
in the romance comes from Isolde's betrothal and marriage to
King Mark of Cornwall - Tristan's uncle - and the obstacles that
arise from their forbidden, and doomed, love.
Among the Old Masters to pay homage to the knight and his princess
are four very well-known and accomplished late 19th-century Pre-Raphaelite
painters featured predominantly on this site. Edmund Blair
Leighton (British, 1853-1922), an eminent artist of the Pre-Raphaelite
movement, painted his vision of Tristan
& Isolde in 1902; in this painting, the pair are
seen conversing privately outdoors while, unbeknownst to them,
King Mark looks on. Scottish artist John Duncan (1866-1945)
leaned toward the Celtic Revival and Pre-Raphaelite styles and
created his Tristan & Isolda
- a more somber image depicting
their sharing of the love potion that doomed them - in 1912.
John William Waterhouse (British, 1849-1917) was known
for his love of classic legend and mythological themes and, though
his style was primarily NeoClassical, ("new classic,")
he is widely considered to be one of the premiere Pre-Raphaelites;
his interpretation, also depicting the significance of the love
potion, was painted in 1916: Tristram
& Isolde (full
title "Tristram and Isolde Sharing the Potion.") Our
fourth popular Pre-Raphaelite painter, Sir Frank (Francis
Bernard) Dicksee (1853-1928), became president of the Royal
Academy of Art (England) in 1924 and was knighted in 1925; his
portrayal of Isolde, date unknown, is titled Yseult and depicts the young princess watching through
a window for her love to return.
The various spellings of the names
- Tristan and Tristram, and Isolde, Isolda,
and Yseult (among others) stem from their Celtic origin
and later Anglicization.
To further explore the works of these artists and other Pre-Raphaelite
painters found on IllusionsGallery.com, follow these links:
John William Waterhouse
Sir Frank (Francis Bernard) Dicksee
Edmund Blair Leighton
John Duncan
The Pre-Raphaelites
article by Kathleen McGloin,
Illusions Gallery, copyright 2006
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