It’s been over 1,500 years, but now, King Arthur is returning to Cumbria!

The Legend of King Arthur: A Pre-Raphaelite Love Story will run at Tullie from 4 February – 3 June 2023. Entry is included with admission, free for annual ticket holders, Members and Patrons. 

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.

After falling out of fashion in the late Middle Ages, the 19th century 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

The exhibition also 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.

The exhibition will have plenty for children, too. Including:

• A castle (you can even go inside!) furnished with objects from the human history and natural sciences collections
• Traditional games and a series of quests to complete and lift Excalibur from the stone
• Story writing prompts to encourage budding authors to pen their own tales
• Arthurian activities in February and May half terms

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.

We are very 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.