The Sleep of King Arthur in Avalon

According to Thomas Malory 's "Le Morte d'Arthur" (1470), King Arthur suffered a fatal wound in a battle against Mordred. He was later taken to the magical island of Avalon, where he fell into a deep slumber meant to last until summoned to return to earth once more. Burne-Jones was commissioned this work in 1881 by George Howard, who wished to decorate his personal library with an Arthurian subject. However, seeing that Burn-Jones became so involved with the work, he withdrew the commission and the artist continued working on it for over twenty years, succumbing to illness before finishing the monumental painting.