The Procession of the Grail
Date1911
Artist
William Ernest Chapman
American artist and illustrator, 1864–1945
Illustration CitationThe Story of Parzival, the Templar, Retold from Wolfram von Eschenbach, by Mary Blackwell Sterling (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1911)
MediumInk, graphite, and watercolor on illustration board
Dimensionssheet: 19 9/16 × 29 3/8 in. (49.7 × 74.6 cm)
Credit LineGift of Helen Farr Sloan, 1980
Object number1980-195
On View
Not on viewClassificationsDRAWING
Label TextThis drawing illustrates a key event in Arthurian stories of Parzival (also known as Percival). Visiting the Castle of the Grail, Parzival meets the wounded "fisher king" Anfortas and witnesses a strange procession but does not inquire about it. In the morning, he finds that the king and all his attendants have disappeared. A servant berates him for failing to ask the question that would allow the Grail to heal Anfortas. The king, his kingdom, and Parzival suffer. Eventually, with divine encouragement, Parzival returns and asks the essential question (Uncle, what is it that troubles you?), allowing the Grail to heal the king. In this Grail story, the Grail is described as a clear red stone, pictured here on the pillow of the woman at the far right.This drawing illustrated a book written for children by the artist's wife.
Arthur E. Becher
1914
