Ophelia John William Waterhouse (1849-1917)

This is a Pre-Raphaelite painting titled Ophelia by John Everett Millais, depicting a scene from Shakespeares Hamlet. The painting shows a young woman with long, auburn hair, adorned with flowers, sitting by a body of water filled with lily pads. Her gaze is directed upwards and to the side, with her hands clasped behind her head, in a pose that suggests contemplation or sorrow. She is wearing a flowing, pale gown with ornate gold embroidery. The surrounding foliage is lush and detailed, with various plants and flowers, including wild roses and daisies, some of which are near or in the water.

The subtexts of the painting are rich and poignant, primarily revolving around themes of madness, despair, and tragic beauty.

• Tragic Love and Madness: Ophelias character in Hamlet is driven to madness by the death of her father and Hamlets rejection. The flowers she wears and holds are symbolic. Violets often represent faithfulness or early death, while daisies can symbolize innocence. The wild roses might represent love and beauty, but here they are intertwined with the sorrowful context. Her disheveled hair and melancholic expression immediately convey her fractured mental state.
• Nature as a Mirror: The dense, almost suffocating natural environment can be interpreted as reflecting Ophelias inner turmoil and her eventual fate. The water, teeming with life but also representing depth and oblivion, foreshadows her drowning. The lushness of the plants also creates a sense of beauty intertwined with decay, mirroring her tragic beauty and descent.
• Purity and Vulnerability: Despite her madness, Ophelia is often seen as a figure of innocence corrupted by the harsh realities of the court and the actions of others. Her pale, delicate features and the flowing white dress emphasize her vulnerability and purity, making her tragic end even more impactful.
• Mortality and Beauty: Millais masterfully captures the fleeting nature of youthful beauty against the backdrop of impending death. Ophelia is depicted at a moment of tragic stillness, poignantly beautiful even in her despair, highlighting the ephemeral quality of life and beauty.
• Literary Allusion: The painting is a direct visual interpretation of a specific moment in Shakespeares play where Ophelia is described as singing as she falls into the brook, but the painting captures her before this final act, focusing on her state of being. The detailed botanical accuracy, a hallmark of the Pre-Raphaelites, grounds the fantastical tragedy in a tangible reality.