John Everett Millais’s Ophelia, housed in Tate Britain, remains one of the most iconic and captivating paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. This exquisite artwork depicts Ophelia, a tragic character from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, in her final moments before succumbing to drowning. The painting is not merely an illustration of a literary scene; it is a profound exploration of beauty, nature, and tragedy, embodying the core tenets of the Pre-Raphaelite movement.
The scene portrayed is the aftermath of Hamlet’s devastating act of murdering Ophelia’s father, Polonius. Driven to madness by grief and despair, Ophelia, in her fragile mental state, allows herself to drift into the river. Millais captures the poignant instant where Ophelia is suspended between life and death, both floating and sinking. Her heavy garments, detailed with meticulous care, spread around her, gradually absorbing water and pulling her downwards into her watery grave.
Ophelia’s posture and expression are laden with symbolism and pathos. Her head is tilted back in serene resignation, her mouth slightly ajar, and her eyes half-closed, suggesting a peaceful surrender to her fate. Her hands, palms facing upwards, float languidly on the water’s surface, mirroring the scattered flowers that adorn her dress and the surrounding stream. Her unbound hair fans out across the water, creating a halo effect and further emphasizing her vulnerability and loss of control. The almost ethereal silver and subtly purple hues of her dress provide a striking contrast against the vibrant, verdant greens of the natural setting, highlighting Ophelia as the central, tragic figure within this lush yet indifferent landscape.
Ophelia by John Everett Millais painting, showcasing the tragic figure surrounded by detailed nature, a Pre-Raphaelite masterpiece.
Millais masterfully frames Ophelia within the river and its dense, surrounding foliage. This meticulous depiction of nature is a hallmark of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of artists who emerged in 1848 with a revolutionary vision for British art. Rejecting the idealized and formulaic approaches of the established art academies, the Pre-Raphaelites sought to return to the intense detail, vibrant colors, and complex compositions found in early Italian and Flemish art. They emphasized direct observation of nature and a commitment to truth and sincerity in their artistic representations. Millais’s dedication to painting the background outdoors was a radical departure from studio-bound practices of the time, marking a significant development in art around 1850s England.
In the 21st century, it might be challenging to fully grasp the radical nature of Ophelia in its time. The painting’s specificity, its vibrant and truthful colors, and its unprecedented level of detail were groundbreaking. Traditional European academies advocated for idealized and generalized styles, relying on established artistic formulas. Millais, in contrast, confronted nature directly, striving to capture and represent the world precisely as he perceived it. This commitment to realism, fueled by outdoor painting, was a stark challenge to the prevailing artistic norms.
Millais’s own account vividly illustrates the arduous process behind achieving this naturalistic depiction. He famously described painting Ophelia outdoors for up to 11 hours a day, enduring discomfort and various challenges. “I sit tailor-fashion under an umbrella throwing a shade scarcely larger than a halfpenny for 11 hours,” he wrote, detailing his struggles with weather, insects, and even local landowners. He humorously likened his painting experience to Ophelia’s own demise, stating, “I am also in danger of being blown by the wind into the water, and becoming intimate with the feelings of Ophelia when that lady sank to her muddy death.” His dedication, bordering on obsession, underscores the Pre-Raphaelite commitment to truth and detail, even at the expense of personal comfort.
Despite the painting’s serene beauty and tragic subject, Millais’s anecdotes reveal the mundane realities of its creation – the heat, the flies, the fear of falling into the river, and even the annoyance of persistent swans. This juxtaposition of the sublime and the ordinary adds another layer to the appreciation of Ophelia. When observing the painting, the viewer is immediately struck by the prominence of plant life and the intricate details of nature. The fallen tree in the background mirrors Ophelia’s horizontal pose, while the upright reeds, filtering light and casting shadows on the water, create a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. These meticulously rendered elements of nature invite the viewer into the painting’s immersive and multifaceted world.
The absence of a visible sky in Ophelia further contributes to the painting’s sense of intimacy and enclosure. The viewer is drawn into a private, quiet space, focused entirely on Ophelia and her immediate surroundings. The only hint of the sky is a small reflection of blue and clouds in the lower left corner of the water, an area sheltered by the reeds. This compositional choice emphasizes the earthly, contained nature of Ophelia’s final moments. Interestingly, the Pre-Raphaelite’s emphasis on microscopic detail coincided with the rise of photography in the mid-19th century.
William Henry Fox Talbot, a pioneer of English photography, noted photography’s ability to capture “a multitude of minute details” that artists might overlook or deem too laborious to replicate. He argued that photography could enhance the “truth of the representation” by faithfully recording every detail of light and shade. Millais, in Ophelia, seems to embrace this very principle, dedicating himself to capturing every reed, flower, and leaf with photographic precision. This meticulous approach reflects a broader cultural context, as described by Thomas Carlyle as the “Mechanical Age.” In response to this era of industrialization and mass production, the Pre-Raphaelites sought to infuse their art with “deeply felt poetry,” sincerity, and individual vision. Ophelia by John Everett Millais stands as a powerful testament to this artistic movement, offering a poignant blend of tragedy and beauty, meticulously rendered with unparalleled detail and emotional depth.
