“Sir Galahad, the Quest for the Holy Grail”
When the Pre-Raphaelites turned their attention to the Arthurian tales, the world became so much richer.
“Sir Galahad, the Quest for the Holy Grail” is a gorgeous painting by the English artist, Arthur Hughes, from 1870. It is oil on canvas mounted on panel. Hughes painted Arthurian themed art for over 20 years, and it was a large part of his artistic repertoire.
The Holy Grail was a pivotal part of the Arthurian tale. As the tale goes, the cup was used by Jesus in the Last Supper. After his crucifixion, it was used to catch his blood. The grail was said to have magical powers, providing eternal youth. The quest for the Holy Grail was the ultimate task given by King Arthur to his knights of the round table. The quest took on a spiritual meaning and became a test of morality. The grail quest was nearly unachievable, as most of the knights who attempted it were turned away by vice or lack of will. As Arthurian fans know, Galahad was the only knight to ever achieve this quest. It was a testament to his high morality and purity of spirit.
In this painting, Sir Galahad sits on a white steed, joust in hand, and marches forward, on the ready for whatever may befall him. He is on the great quest, the one that would define his life. He is aided by three angels, floating in the sky and lighting his way in the darkness. Galahad is cautiously approaching a stone bridge that passes over water. White water can be seen rushing below the bridge. He is pushing on, stopping at nothing until he fulfills his quest or dies in the process.
The bridge was modeled after the Ashness Bridge near Derwentwater, England, that crosses the Barrow Beck. It is a gorgeous bridge still extant today.
This painting may have been inspired by the poem, “The Holy Grail”, published by Tennyson in 1869. The poem reads,
‘A gentle sound, an awful sight! Three angels bear the holy grail: With folded feet, in stoles of white, On sleeping wings they sail.’
This painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy the year it was made and purchased by the art collector, George Rae, who was an important patron for many of the Pre-Raphaelite artists, and a friend of William Morris. Rae also purchased a preparatory oil sketch of this painting, which sold at Bonhams in 2022. A second preparatory oil sketch was sold by Sotheby’s in 2014.
“Sir Galahad, the Quest for the Holy Grail” is part of the collections of the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, England.
For more on Arthur Hughes, please visit his short biography here.
You can learn about different art movements here.
