After opening at the William Morris Gallery in London last year, The Legend of King Arthur: A Pre-Raphaelite Love Story brings British folklore’s best-known hero to Carlisle.
From 4 February until 3 June 2023, Tullie will host the exhibition presenting the Legend of King Arthur through the lens of Pre-Raphaelite artists.
After falling out of fashion in the late Middle Ages, the 1800s saw a renewed interest in the Arthurian legend. This exhibition explores the legend of King Arthur within the Victorian imagination, presenting national myths and legends through the eyes of Pre-Raphaelite artists.
This ‘swoon of a show’ (as it was hailed by The Times, no less!), will feature paintings, drawings, tapestries and more by an incredible line up of Pre-Raphaelite artists, including:
- Dante Gabriel Rossetti
- Arthur Hughes
- John William Waterhouse
- Edward Burne-Jones
- William Morris
- Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale
- Elizabeth Siddal
- Evelyn de Morgan
Cumbria is a land steeped in myth, legend, and folklore; perhaps none more iconic than that of King Arthur. The stories of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round table, Guinevere, Merlin, The Lady of Shalott and Lancelot conjure up images of castles rising from the mist, sweeping landscapes and caves shrouded in mystery.
The exhibition explores King Arthur’s connection to Cumbria and seeks to end the age-old argument: Cumbria or Cornwall?!, by pinpointing key locations from legend through a combination of key Pre-Raphaelite works together with works from the Tullie collection.
There will be plenty for children too, including:
- For the creative soul, there is a castle full of emotive sounds, visuals and vocabulary ready to reconstruct days gone by, with storytelling prompts and items from the natural science and human history collections
- Traditional games and quests that ask “Whose destiny will lead them to extract Excalibur from the stone in the enticing Quest for the throne?”
- Arthurian activities in February and May half terms
Alongside the exhibition, the permanent display of Pre-Raphaelite works in Old Tullie House is an ideal complement for visitors hungry for more.
After Tullie, the exhibition will move to Falmouth Art Gallery in Cornwall.
The Legend of King Arthur: A Pre-Raphaelite Love Story has been curated by Natalie Rigby, Falmouth Art Gallery. It has also been generously supported by Art Fund.
Tullie is proud to have Visit Lake District, Cumbria as a partner on this leg of the tour. This exhibition has also been kindly supported by Visit Cornwall, Visit England and Cornwall Museums Partnership.
This exhibition has been made possible as a result of the Government Indemnity Scheme. Tullie would like to thank HM Government for providing Government Indemnity and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England for arranging the indemnity.
The Legend of King Arthur: A Pre-Raphaelite Love Story will be open Monday – Saturday 10am – 4pm. Entry is included with admission and is free for annual ticket holders and Tullie Members.
Image credit: Stuart Walker Photography.
