La Belle Iseult

This is the only completed easel painting that William Morris produced. It is a portrait in medieval dress of Jane Burden, whom Morris married in April 1859. The picture has been wrongly identified in the past as Queen Guenevere, but without a doubt it shows the beautiful Iseult, a tragic character from the Arthurian legend. According to it, Sir Tristram of the Knights of the Round Table was sent to Ireland to accompany Iseult to Cornwall, where she was to marry the king. However, en route, Tristram and Iseult accidentally consumed a potion that led to them falling hopelessly in love with each other. The pair underwent numerous trials that tested their secret love. In this scene, Iseult is seen mourning Sir Tristram's exile.