Queen Eleanor
Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys
1858
Oil on canvas
40.6 x 30.5 cm
Amgueddfa Cymru Caerdydd [National Museum of Wales, Cardiff]. Accession Number: NMW A 185.
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“Queen Eleanor was the jealous wife of King Henry II. According to legend, Henry hid his mistress Fair Rosamund in a maze. Sandys depicts Eleanor following the red silk cord which the king used to find his true-love. In her hands she carries a dagger to kill the watching guard and a goblet of poison for Rosamund.” — Museum label