=Questions to arouse interest.= Who is this man? How is he dressed? What
do his armor and title “Sir” tell us he is? How many have read
Tennyson’s poems telling the story of the knights of the Round Table?
What does Sir Galahad look as if he were about to do? Why do you think
he is starting on a journey, rather than returning from one? Why do you
think it must be an important journey? How will he go? What was expected
of a knight in those days? Tell of some of their good deeds. What would
you judge the character of this knight to be? Where is he represented in
this picture? Is he walking, or standing still? looking at something in
particular, or lost in thought? Does he appear angry, meek, determined,
hesitating, thoughtful, or dreamy? What do his clasped hands indicate?
What color is the horse? Upon what part of the man and horse does the
light fall? What would you consider the main thought expressed in this
picture?
=Original Picture=: Collection Alexander Henderson, M.P., London,
England.
=Artist=: George Frederick Watts (wŏts).
=Birthplace=: London, England.
=Dates=: Born, 1817; died, 1904.
=The story of the picture.= Many wonderful stories have been told of the
famous knights of the Middle Ages, but none perhaps more interesting
than the adventures of the knight Sir Galahad when he went in search of
the Holy Grail.
In those times the greatest praise a boy could hope to receive was “You
are brave enough to become a knight some day,” or “You are as courteous
as a knight”; and his greatest ambition was to receive this title as he
knelt before his sovereign or a superior knight. In those days boys were
carefully trained for knighthood, just as for any other profession. They
were sent away from home when very young, and spent at least ten years
under severe discipline and training.
The boy Galahad had passed through these years of preparation. He had
been taught to be quick in action,—managing a horse so that he could
jump on or off while it was in full gallop,—to throw his spear with sure
aim, to run swiftly, to obey all commands promptly; and, more difficult
still, he had learned to wait patiently and uncomplainingly when he
could not understand why he should wait.
Now he was twenty-one years old. Knighthood had been bestowed upon him,
according to the custom, by a blow with the flat of the sword on his
shoulder as he knelt, and the words, “Arise, Sir Galahad.” And now he
was ready to start out on his quest for the Holy Grail.
The Holy Grail was the cup from which Christ drank at the Last Supper.
It was bought from Pilate by Joseph of Arimathæa, and placed in a castle
where it was guarded night and day. It was passed on to Joseph’s
children, who received the charge in sacred trust, continuing to guard
it faithfully. The cup itself was most mysterious and wonderful. It
could be seen only by those who were perfectly pure in word, thought,
and deed. If an evil person came near, it would seem to be borne away,
completely disappearing from view. The sight of it was as food and new
life to the one to whom it was revealed, and hence would enable him to
live forever, make him very wise, and of course preserve him from death
in battle. But there was one thing it did not do,—it did not take away
temptation to sin. No matter how perfect the knight, he could still be
tempted. He must continue to resist evil as long as he lived.
After a time, the Holy Grail was left in the care of a king named
Amfortas, who, weakly yielding to an evil enchantment, was severely
punished. Not only was the sight of the Grail denied him, but a spell
was cast upon him and all his court, so that they lived in a sort of
trance, neither sleeping nor waking. Thus they must remain and suffer
until a knight should come, pure in body and soul, who should break the
spell and set them free.
Many a young man began to plan the quest of the Grail. He must so live
that by his good thoughts and deeds he might reach the enchanted castle,
see the Holy Grail, and so set free the unhappy knights. He must be
perfect, indeed, if he would achieve this, and full of courage,
perseverance, and patience.
In our picture we see Sir Galahad all ready to mount his snow-white
horse and start out on his search for the Holy Grail. He is in full
armor. His coat of mail, which all knights wore, was proof against any
opponent of the time, except one equally armed and armored. It is said
that a party of knights could ride unharmed through a host of common
soldiers. The horses, too, were protected. But if the knight were once
unhorsed and thrown upon his back, he was so weighed down by the stiff
and heavy armor that he could not rise again without help. The knight’s
weapons consisted of the lance, the two-handed sword, and a short, sharp
dagger.
Sir Galahad had secured his sword and shield in a most mysterious way.
The sword had been discovered protruding from the side of a wonderful
rock of red marble jutting out from the surface of a river. This
wonderful sword no one had been able to draw out of the rock. But when
Sir Galahad tried, the sword came out without the slightest difficulty,
and when he placed it in his empty scabbard, it fitted there exactly.
The shield had been found by Sir Galahad in an old church, where it had
been left for him by an ancestor, and where it had remained undiscovered
for those many years.
Then, too, when Sir Galahad came to the Round Table of King Arthur and
his knights in Camelot, he found them in the midst of a solemn meeting.
Launcelot had just declared that according to prophecy a knight should
come that very day who should occupy the Siege Perilous. The Siege
Perilous was a chair over which the magician Merlin had cast a spell:
only a stainless knight could sit in it without danger of instant death.
As Sir Galahad entered the room he was preceded by a strange old man,
whom none had ever seen before. Then the doors and windows quietly and
mysteriously closed of their own accord, and the room was filled with a
strange light. These words, in letters of fire, appeared over the chair:
“This is Galahad’s seat.” By all these mysterious happenings the knights
knew that Sir Galahad would be successful in finding the Grail, and many
accompanied him on his quest.
Sir Galahad met with many adventures on his quest for the Grail and, in
all of them, came out victorious. At length he reached the Castle of the
Grail, and here he met his first defeat.
Entering the castle he gazed silently about him, at the feeble old king
and at the wretched company whom he had come to free from their living
death. Before him passed the vision of the Grail, which he alone of all
that company was permitted to see. But it was not enough to see all
this; he was expected to ask the meaning of what he saw, and by his
question remove the enchantment. But, overconfident in his own
knowledge, he tried to solve the mystery without asking, and so was
forced to depart without success.
Here, at the very moment he was about to succeed, he was found to be
possessed of the one fault, overconfidence, lacking in that humbleness
which seeks constantly for higher knowledge. Because of his failure to
ask the necessary question, the enchanted company had to continue to
suffer. His personal purity alone was not enough; wisdom was necessary,
attainable not through himself alone, but from the experience and
understanding of others. As he left the castle grounds the drawbridge
closed with a crash, there was a great sound of groaning and of voices
reproaching him for having failed in his quest, and the castle
disappeared from his sight. Much discouraged, he sought it again through
many years, until at last he found it once more, and this time, a much
wiser man, he asked the vital question, broke the wicked spell, and
eventually found the Holy Grail.
Tennyson has given us the story in verse in his “Holy Grail.”
This picture is one we often see in homes, as well as in schoolhouses,
and in many public buildings. It stands for the search for higher ideals
which we are all making, and so its appeal is universal.
The earnest, uplifted face of the knight is full of youth and beauty.
The horse, with his great, intelligent eyes, seems to know the
importance of his errand.
The light comes from before them, brightening the pathway as if it would
lead them on and on through the tangle of vines and deep woods which
opposes them.
If you have been fortunate enough to see a suit of armor in some museum,
you know how the heavy steel coat is planned and how the helmet, which
Sir Galahad has taken off, will protect his head and face.
It is a moment of deep meditation and prayerful thought, for Sir Galahad
is about to start out upon an undertaking in which many have failed and
in which he cannot be sure of success. There is much of humility in his
expression, nothing of the proud, dashing air of the adventurer.
This earnest, thoughtful youth, starting out full of courage and
determination, will always have time for the little courtesies of life,
for they are a part of his creed. A true knight, he has been taught,
should defend to the uttermost the oppressed, aid the weak, and be
brave, courteous, chaste, temperate, generous, and pious.
=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Who was Sir
Galahad? Upon what quest is he about to start? What preparation has he
made for it? How old is he now? How did he receive the title “Sir”? What
was the Holy Grail? What power had this cup? What could it not do for
the person who saw it? Why was the sight of the Grail denied to
King Amfortas? What other punishment did he receive? Who could break
this spell? how? What did Sir Galahad hope to do? How is he dressed?
What protection was this armor? What might happen if he should be
unhorsed? What weapons did he carry? How had Sir Galahad secured his
sword and shield? Tell about the Round Table of King Arthur and the
Siege Perilous. What happened when Sir Galahad entered? Of what did all
these mysteries persuade the other knights? What happened when Sir
Galahad came to the Castle of the Grail? Why did he fail? What was the
result of this defeat? When did he succeed? What was the result? What is
the main thought expressed in this picture?
=The story of the artist.= George Frederick Watts was born and raised in
London, England. He learned to draw, we are told, much in the same way
he learned to talk. His parents encouraged him always, and he seems to
have had very few obstacles to overcome.
Though Watts entered the Royal Academy school of painting at an early
age, he did not study there long. His art education was thus gained
largely by his own efforts and observation. He studied ancient Greek
sculpture closely and his work was always influenced by the classical
standard.
Watts lived in an age when the spirit of reform was uppermost, and men
were preaching, thinking, and living it. No wonder, then, his work is
full of thoughtful purpose, urging us on to the best that is in us.
He said, “I want to teach people to live ... to teach something higher
than money making or mere pleasure getting ... to suggest great
thoughts.” He did not paint, as many others had, for the mere pleasure
of it, or even from inspiration, but rather for some definite purpose.
In the Tate Gallery at London is a great collection of the paintings
which give the artist’s message to the world. In 1843 the Royal
Commission appointed for the decoration of the new Houses of Parliament
awarded one of the prizes to Watts for his fresco design. This enabled
him to study in Italy for three years. There he gained much in the
richness of his coloring and ease in brush-work.
Of his paintings for the government “The First Naval Victory of the
English” and “St. George Overcomes the Dragon” are perhaps the best
known. Other famous pictures by Watts are entitled “Ganymede,” “Orpheus
and Eurydice,” and “Psyche.” In 1867 Watts became a member of the Royal
Academy. He worked very hard, producing a great many paintings. With
noble generosity he donated a large number of pictures to his country,
particularly portraits of famous men, among them Lord Tennyson, Robert
Browning, Swinburne, Dante, Gabriel Rossetti, Burne-Jones, and William
Morris.
The last few years of his life were devoted principally to portrait
painting. When Tennyson was writing “Elaine,” he asked Watts to tell him
his idea of a good portrait, and afterwards wrote this description from
the answer:
“As when a painter, gazing on a face,
Divinely thro’ all hindrance finds the man
Behind it, and so paints him that his face,
The shape and color of a mind and life,
Lives for his children ever at his best.”
=Questions about the artist.= Who was the artist, and where was he born?
What help did he have in realizing his ambition to become an artist?
What was his aim in painting pictures? Give in your own words Mr.
Watts’s idea of what a good portrait should be. What helped him to go to
Italy? What benefit did he get from his study in Italy? Name some great
men whose portraits Watts painted.
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