Ophelia painting by Millais in Japan

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In 1852, the English painter John Millais completed work on the painting Ophelia. She became the fifth in his track record and was made in the spirit of a new direction - Pre-Raphaelism. The painting was exhibited in London at the Royal Academy of Arts. However, contemporaries did not immediately appreciate the genius of the master. Let's get acquainted with the features of the style and creativity of the artist. What is the plot and symbolism of the painting? And where is she today?

Innovative painter

John Millais is one of the largest English painters, the founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Born and raised in Southampton (England) and at the age of 11 entered the Academy of Arts. Millais was the youngest student. By the age of 15, he already had an excellent command of the brush. Two years later, the paintings of the young artist participated in academic exhibitions and were recognized as the best.

Biblical motifs and female images, widely used by Millet, are rethought and presented in a different, "non-canonical"light. All this formed the basis of a new trend in English painting - Pre-Raphaelism. However, after his marriage, the artist had to move away from this technique. The family demanded more material income. Therefore, Millet became a portrait and landscape painter. His fortune reached 30 thousand pounds a year.

The most famous works are the paintings of Millet "Ophelia" and "Ripe Cherry". The latter not only enjoyed great success with art lovers, but also became the subject of imitations and copies.

Pre-Raphaelism

The name of the new direction in English painting of the 19th century already obviously refers the townsfolk to the era of Florentine artists of the early Renaissance. They preceded Raphael and Michelangelo. Before the advent of the Pre-Raphaelites, British art developed "under the clear direction" of the Academy of Arts. The brotherhood, which included Dante Rossetti, John Millais, Madox Brown, Arthur Hughes and others, showed revolutionary painters. They deliberately departed in their works from the conventions of "exemplary", religious and mythological works. Their solution was to write from nature. To do this, they invited relatives, friends, and their lovers as models. Moreover, the Pre-Raphaelites equalized the relationship between the artist and the model. Now the image of the queen was allowed to be written from the saleswoman, and the image of the Virgin Mary - from the sister or mother. No limits to fantasy!

At first, the new direction in painting was warmly received. However, after the presentation of Millet’s painting “Christ in the Parental Home”, a flurry of indignation fell upon the Pre-Raphaelites andharsh criticism. The painter was accused of excessive naturalism and deviation from the religious canon. The situation was smoothed over by John Ruskin, an outstanding critic and art critic at that time. He expressed the opinion that the new direction could become the basis for the creation of a majestic school of painting. And his opinion was accepted by society. However, despite all the efforts of the critic, the Brotherhood still fell apart. Romantic spirit and passion for the Middle Ages - that's all that united the artists.

Storyline

The film "Ophelia" is based on the plot of Shakespeare's play "Hamlet". It follows that Ophelia was a young beauty. She dearly loved Prince Hamlet. But when she found out that he killed her father, she went crazy. Succumbing to confusion, the girl drowned herself in the river. The gravediggers, having fished out the body, immediately realized that death was dark and it was impossible to bury a drowned woman for a priest. But the Queen, Hamlet's mother, presents everything as an accident. As if a young maiden, trying to decorate a willow with flower wreaths, accidentally fell into the river. It is this version of the action that Millet uses in Ophelia.

He depicts the heroine after falling into the river, when she thought to hang her wreaths on willow branches. The girl sings sorrowful songs, her eyes and hands are directed to the sky. Some critics saw in this the biblical motif of the crucifixion of Christ, while others saw an erotic hint. The artist depicts Ophelia slowly plunging into the water. There is a fading of life against the backdrop of a blooming, vibrant landscape. In the face of the heroine, complete resignation to fate: no panic, no fear, no despair. Deathinevitable, but it seems that time has stopped. The painter Millet managed to capture and capture the moment between the girl's life and death.

Another name for the painting is The Death of Ophelia.

History of Creation

In biographical sources it is noted that the painter spent 11 hours at the easel. Millet chose the county of Surrey, near the Hogsmill River, as his place of work. Such immersion in the creative process is explained by critics as Millet's desire to establish the basic principles of Pre-Raphaelism in British art. One of them was the accurate depiction of nature. Even the flowers are painted by the artist with botanical authenticity.

After creating the landscape, Millet began to create the image of Ophelia. This approach to painting was new to classical art, as usually artists paid less attention to the landscape. The model was a young girl Elizabeth Siddal. She was then only 19 years old. Later, she became famous as a poet, painter and Pre-Raphaelite model, as well as the beloved of Dante Rossetti.

While working in the studio, Millet forced the girl to lie in the bath for a long time. And although the water in it was heated by special lamps, Elizabeth caught a bad cold. She even sent the artist a doctor's prescription for £50. In addition, the artist purchased a £4 vintage dress with floral embroidery for the model.

Symbolism

The painting "Ophelia" due to the dominant image of nature, is filled with colorssymbolic meaning. So, for example, the “fancy garlands” that the heroine wove according to the plot consist of buttercups, a symbol of infantilism. The weeping willow leaning over the girl represents rejected love. Daisies carry the meaning of innocence, and nettles - pain and suffering. Roses in the picture are traditionally a symbol of beauty and tenderness. A necklace of violets and forget-me-nots on the shore speak of fidelity. And the Adonis flower floating near the right hand of Ophelia symbolizes grief.

Exhibition in Moscow

Pre-Raphaelite artists and their paintings cause a lot of curiosity and delight even today. "Ophelia" and many other masterpieces of the famous Brotherhood made up a magnificent exposition. On June 11, 2013, it opened for visitors at the State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow.

The British exhibition, according to the organizers, turned out to be more elegant, complete compared to its previous presentation in Washington. The State Museum presented 86 paintings (from museum and private collections). Among them are works on historical subjects, landscape painting and portraits of women.

Four halls were allotted for the exposition, which, by the way, were never left without visitors. Shakespeare's images were of particular interest. It was in this section of Pre-Raphaelite paintings that Ophelia took center stage.

Also, a literary project was timed to coincide with the organization - the collection "The Poetic World of the Pre-Raphaelites" - and an educational program for children and adults.

Exposure extension

The British exhibition in Moscow was visited by almost 300 thousand people. And the flow of art lovers did not stop until the last day. At the request of visitors, instead of September 22, the closing day was announced on October 13.

The curators of the exhibition noted that such an extension was a success. The exposition took place in the summer months, when many Muscovites went on vacation. The changes allowed to attract more attention and visitors to such a landmark event.

Ophelia in Japan

The British Council immediately clarified that Moscow is not the last point of the "journey" of the exhibition of the Victorian avant-garde. Then she was met by the Land of the Rising Sun. And this time only 60 works by English watercolors were presented. Ophelia by Millais in Japan was also one of them.