"The subject is taken from an early poem by Tennyson, The Ballad of Oriana, in which Oriana stands on the wall of a castle, watching her betrothed in a battle below. An arrow meant for the knight strays, killing her instead. Sandys does not attempt to illustrate Tennyson’s poem, but refers obliquely to one line of the ballad, 'She stood upon the castle wall.'” http://books0977.tumblr.com/post/130850540502/oriana-1861-frederick-sandys-english