Arthurian Princess

A Commission: I was asked to create an Arthurian Lady for a Hampshire Garden. After discussing this with my client this is the result. The following story fits her perfectly.

As The Grail Maiden (or Bearer of the Grail) she was considered the most beautiful of English Maidens. She was keeper of the Holy Grail and could, whilst a Maiden, know its secrets. 

She was the daughter of King Pelles (origins in Celtic Mythology) and later, mother to the Knight, Galahad fathered by Sir Lancelot. Her birth name was Helizabel but she was also later known as Amite. 
She beget Galahad with Lancelot whilst he was under the influence of a magic potion (he thought he was bedding Guenevere!) because she saw that together they would create the next curator of the Holy Grail, "the pure Knight", Galahad.  Guenevere threw Lancelot out which drove him mad and he fled to Helizabel's who cured him with the Grail's Elixir. He then lived for a time with Helizabel, raising Galahad.  To her sadness, Lancelot always truly loved Guenevere but Helizabel needed Lancelot to father her pure male progeny, Sir Galahad.  It was her destiny.

This sculpture of Princess Helizabel is still the Grail Maiden and therefore, she gazes with understanding into the deep secrets of the Holy Grail held in her cup, hence her enigmatic smile! Her clenched right hand emphasises the responsibilities of her custody and her duty of resolve to pass it on.

My Client's first inspiration for the subject of the sculpture was a painting by Herbert James Draper.  This was of Isolde and Tristan and he stands before her holding the empty cup of Love Potion whilst aboard the boat back from Ireland to Cornwall. Their story apparently was the forerunner influence of the story of Lancelot and Guenvere's.The painting that I used for some of the detail comes from "The Accolade" by Blair Leighton, the client’s second reference. I replaced her sword with a cup.

Bronze Edition of 5

Life Size (5 foot 4 inches or 1 meter 60 cm)

Still Available

Guide Price (see pricing page) £29,000

You can Commission something similar for the same price. See also Editions

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