The Temptation of Sir Percival
Arthur Hacker, 1894Fine art reproduction on 200gsm matte paper. A5 to A2, plus 12x16 and 18x24 inches.Prices start from £13.99See sizes and prices on Etsy
She offers him wine and asks him to stay. Beside him, the cross in his sword's hilt glows red.
Arthur Hacker painted The Temptation of Sir Percival in 1894. The story comes from Arthurian legend, as Thomas Malory told it in Le Morte d'Arthur. Percival, one of the few knights pure enough to seek the Holy Grail, rests in a wild wood. A beautiful woman appears and tempts him with wine. Look closely at the sword standing in the earth. A red cross shines in its pommel.
In Malory, that cross saves him. He makes the sign of the cross, and the woman, a demon in disguise, vanishes in smoke. Hacker trained at the Royal Academy Schools and in Paris under Léon Bonnat. He gives the knight a faint halo. The original hangs in Leeds Art Gallery.
The look
Burnished silver armour, a cream gown dotted with green, violets in her hair and a floor of copper autumn leaves. A still, charged painting. Moody wall art for a dark academia study, a reading room or a gothic bedroom.
Sizes
| Size | Centimetres | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| A5 | 14.8 x 21 cm | 5.8 x 8.3 in |
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 cm | 8.3 x 11.7 in |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 cm | 11.7 x 16.5 in |
| A2 | 42 x 59.4 cm | 16.5 x 23.4 in |
| 12 x 16 in | 30.5 x 40.6 cm | 12 x 16 in |
| 18 x 24 in | 45.7 x 61 cm | 18 x 24 in |
This painting stops at A2. Above that size the original photograph loses the fine detail of the brushwork, so the shop does not offer it.
Custom sizes on request. Inch sizes have a slightly different shape from A sizes, so the edges trim a little. Size guide
Frames and delivery
Choose a black, white or oak frame, or order the print unframed. It is printed locally in the UK, Europe, the US, Canada or Australia, at the location closest to you. Free tracked shipping, no customs fees. Printing and delivery
Gifting
A meaningful gift for a birthday, a housewarming or a new home library. A story of temptation and faith told in a single glance.
More like this
More Arthurian legend in our Pre-Raphaelite section: The Beguiling of Merlin by Edward Burne-Jones, Morgan le Fay by Frederick Sandys and The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse.
