The Beautiful Lady Without Pity (1893) | John William Waterhouse | Painting Art Print | Wall Frame

The subject matter of the Beautiful Lady Without Pity (La Belle Dame sans Merci) was a popular theme with the Romantic Poets as well as the artists who made up the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. John Keats's classic poem of the same name elucidates the classic story of a knight who has become enchanted and left for dead after encountering a beautiful fairy woman in the forest.

Likewise, Waterhouse's painting depicts an apparently romantic scene set in a woodland where a passing knight has come upon an exquisitely alluring young woman. Waterhouse captures the moment when the fairy enchantress ensnares the seemingly lovestruck knight in her long hair by wrapping it around his neck to hold him in close to her.

The intensity of the knight's gaze gives the impression that he has been bewitched by her beauty, while the beautiful lady looks up at the knight with an expression that is hypnotic. Despite the fairy woman's exquisite, almost ethereal beauty, the dark colours and tones of the painting reinforce the sense of threat and menace suggested by the manner in which she envelopes the knight in her hair.

Waterhouse's work retains a great popularity today and there are many reasons for that. The setting on an English forest, with trees and a small river is beautifully romantic and perfectly fits with the inspiration of poetry. The charming outfits add to this, with the lady wearing a pretty dress which is adorned with polka dots around the bottom, and detail on her sleeves.

Another popular aspect is that of suspense, which was a mood that Waterhouse added to a number of his paintings. Here we see the armoured soldier lured by this pretty young woman, as he considers whether to trust her or not. Those familiar with the original passage of literature will already know the answer to this.

Our professionally remastered artwork comes in two variations: