Ophelia (1852)

This masterpiece is part of the esteemed collection at the Tate Gallery in London.

One of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood iEstablished in 1848, this society comprised young British artists who embraced innovative principles in painting. , John Everett Millais iJohn Everett Millais (1829-1896) - a British painter and illustrator., created this painting while faithfully adhering to all the painting principles established by the Brotherhood.

1. The landscape should be painted only from nature and in greatest possible detail.

For eleven hours every day, Millais would sit on the banks of the Hogsmill River, meticulously transferring every blade of grass, every glimmer on the water, onto his canvas. He was plagued by mosquitoes, flies, an untethered bull grazing nearby, and a flock of swans who seemed to believe that he was encroaching upon their nesting grounds.

2. The artwork should be abundant in symbols that have been recognized since the Renaissance era.

Each flower in Ophelia is deliberately chosen in accordance with the symbolism of the time. Many of the plants mentioned by Shakespeare that the distraught Ophelia carried—rosemary, fennel, rue—are notably absent here. Instead, we see adonis symbolizing sorrow, cornflowers as a sign of ingratitude, and forget-me-nots representing fidelity.

3. The model should convincingly convey the depicted emotions.

Nineteen-year-old Elizabeth Siddal fell ill with pneumonia after many hours of posing in a filled bathtub. The lamps intended to warm the water were insufficient, leaving her cold, and she contracted a severe cold. The artist had to pay fifty pounds for her treatment—an immense sum for that era, enough to support him comfortably for an entire year. Another expense was the exquisite antique-style dress, which was completely ruined due to the prolonged soaking. Even second-hand clothes dealers refused to take it.

What is truly remarkable is that the painting met with a lukewarm reception from both critics and the public. The depiction of a suicide in progress unsettled the audience, even though it was accurately depicted in Shakespeare's excellent play. However, the question asked was why include such a high level of naturalism in an artwork? The frozen expression, the deathly pale neck, the contorted face—such features would not find a place in many homes, especially those in which impressionable girls were growing up. Overall, an unsettling and somewhat unnatural quality pervades this painting.

Critics, on the other hand, vehemently critiqued the intentional affectation and excessiveness (for instance, the unexplained semi-circular shape of the painting bewildered some), deeming it a shallow imitation of Christian artworks (it was suggested that Ophelia's expression and pose were borrowed from traditional images of Christ on the cross).

Millais’s disappointment about the underwhelming response to Ophelia, a painting he had invested so much effort into, led him to distance himself from the principles of Pre-Raphaelitism. He transitioned to an academic style of painting, focusing on portraits, landscapes, and historical scenes. He married, achieved renown, received a knighthood, assumed the presidency of the Royal Academy of Arts, and accumulated considerable wealth. He deliberately avoided revisiting his youthful fascination with eccentricities.

Interestingly, Ophelia is now considered his magnum opus, surpassing all of his subsequent pleasing yet less remarkable works in terms of depth and interest.