Queen Eleanor is an 1858 oil-on-canvas painting by Pre-Raphaelite artist Frederick Sandys which depicts Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, the wife of King Henry II of England, on her way to poison her husband's mistress, Rosamund Clifford.[1] The painting is displayed at the National Museum Cardiff, which obtained it in 1981.
| Queen Eleanor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Frederick Sandys |
| Year | 1858 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 40.6 cm × 30.5 cm (16.0 in × 12.0 in) |
| Location | National Museum Cardiff, Cardiff |
| Owner | National Museum Cardiff |
| Accession | NMW A 185 |
| Website | Museum of Wales |
Legend
editThe traditional story recounts that King Henry concealed his affair from Queen Eleanor by conducting it within the innermost recesses of a complicated maze. Queen Eleanor penetrated the labyrinth while trailing a red cord, shown in the subject's left hand, and forced her rival to choose between a dagger and the bowl of poison. Rosamund chose the poison, and died.[2]
References
edit- ^ "Queen Eleanor | Art Collections Online". National Museum Wales. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ "Mazes and Labyriths: Chapter XIX. The Bower of Fair Rosamond". www.sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
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