Art and Poetry

During class the other day we looked at two John Waterhouse paintings in which he shows imagery that portrays scenes in the poem. We looked at two very different images that are actually by the same painter. They also matched up with two different parts of the poem.

Unlike the second image, this image does not correspond with a particular stanza in the poem. I feel like it is a much more general painting. It is interesting that his technique differs so much from the other painting. In this one his brush strokes are tight and he appears to be using the rules of the salon to paint this. This image might be painted so clearly because this is after she has made her decision to die. The future is clear for her and she knows what she wants her fate to be. 

This painting, also by Waterhouse is radically different.The painting appears to be painted in a much more impressionistic style. Large brush strokes and bold colors. All of the lines appear to be blurred and it shows the madness that comes across in the second part of the poem. 

There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
   To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
   The Lady of Shalott.

In this piece there are white lines surrounding her, between that and her crouched position I imagine this painting is her captured in her web. The artist might have interpreted the web to be more physical than metaphorical. Or maybe, he was trying to show the metaphorical web in a more physical way. Either way, I feel that this piece is much more expressive and visually interesting.

Looking at someone's artistic interpretation of a poem can be a slightly difficult process in my opinion. You have to take the artist's opinion into consideration, and also be able to form your own opinions independently and not be too influenced by what someone else has chosen to portray. Waterhouse's two images show that even he had very different interpretations of the different parts of the poem. I feel that this fact shows that poetry is very open to interpretation, depending on the reader.