"I Am Half-Sick of Shadows", Said the Lady of Shalott

This evocative painting is the third and final work in John William Waterhouse's trilogy of canvases inspired by Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem The Lady of Shalott. Unlike the earlier versions of 1888 and 1894, which depict the Lady's fateful departure from her tower, this painting captures a quieter, earlier moment in the story: the Lady is still confined in her chamber, resting from her ceaseless weaving at the loom.

Dressed in a deep crimson gown, the Lady sits amid Romanesque columns that frame arched windows, their reflections visible in the large mirror behind her that serves as her only view of the outside world. Through the mirror, the distant towers and bridge of Camelot shimmer, along with the figures of passing travelers and lovers. The shuttles of her loom are rendered to resemble small boats, a subtle visual foreshadowing of the vessel that will carry her to her death.

Exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 1916, the painting was one of Waterhouse's last major works, completed just two years before his death. It passed through several private collections before being donated to the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto in 1971, where it remains a highlight of the collection. The work exemplifies Waterhouse's lifelong devotion to literary and mythological subjects rendered with Pre-Raphaelite richness and sensuality.