In 1852, the English painter John Millet completed work on the painting Ophelia. She became the fifth in his track record and performed in the spirit of a new direction - pre-Raphaelism. The canvas 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 artist’s style and creativity. What is the plot and symbolism of the picture? And where is she today?
Innovative painter
John Millet is one of the largest English painters, the founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Born and raised in Southampton (England) and at 11 years old he entered the Academy of Fine Arts. Millet was the youngest student. By the age of 15, he already had excellent brush control. 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 marriage, the artist had to move away from this technique. The family demanded more material income. Therefore, Millet became a portrait painter and landscape painter. His fortune reached 30 thousand pounds per year.
The most famous works are paintings by Millet "Ophelia" and "Ripe Cherry". The latter not only enjoyed great success among art lovers, but also became the subject of imitations and copies.
Pre-Raphaelism
The name of the new trend in 19th-century English painting already deliberately sends the townsfolk into the era of Florentine artists of the early Renaissance. They preceded Raphael and Michelangelo. Prior to the appearance of the Pre-Raphaelites, British art developed “on the clear direction” of the Academy of Arts. The brotherhood, which included Dante Rossetti, John Millet, Madox Brown, Arthur Hughes and others, showed the artists of the revolution. In their works, they deliberately departed from the conventions of “exemplary”, religious and mythological works. Their decision was to write from nature. To do this, they invited relatives, friends, and their beloved as models. Moreover, the Pre-Raphaelites equalized the relationship of the artist and the model. Now the image of the queen was allowed to be written with a saleswoman, and the image of the Virgin Mary from a sister or mother. No limitations of fantasy!
At first, a new direction in painting was accepted warmly. However, after the presentation of Mille's painting “Christ in the Parental Home”, a flurry of indignation and severe criticism fell upon the Pre-Raphaelites. The painter was accused of excessive naturalism and deviation from the religious canon. The situation was smoothed by the then-outstanding critic and art critic John Ruskin. He expressed the view that a new direction could become the basis for the creation of a magnificent school of painting. And his opinion was accepted by society. However, despite all the efforts of the critic, the Brotherhood nevertheless broke up. The romantic spirit and passion for the Middle Ages is all that united the artists.
Plot
The plot of Ophelia was based on the plot of Shakespeare's play Hamlet. It follows that Ophelia was a young beauty. She dearly loved Prince Hamlet. But, having learned that he had killed her father, she went crazy. Yielding to confusion, the girl drowned in the river. The grave diggers, having caught the body, immediately realized that the death was dark and that the priest should not bury the drowned woman. But the Queen, the mother of Hamlet, presents everything as an accident. As if a young maiden, trying to decorate the willow with flower wreaths, accidentally fell into the river. It is this version of the action that Millet uses in the film Ophelia.
He portrays the heroine after falling into the river, when she thought she would hang her wreaths on willow branches. The girl sings woeful songs, her eyes and hands are fixed on the sky. Some critics saw this as the biblical motive for the crucifixion of Christ, while others saw an erotic hint. The artist depicts the slow immersion of Ophelia in water. There is a fading of life against the background of a blossoming, vibrant landscape. In the face of the heroine, complete humility with fate: no panic, no fear, no despair. Death is inevitable, but it seems that time has stopped. The painter Milla managed to capture and capture the moment between the life and death of the girl.
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. Surrey, near the Hogsmill River , chose Millet as his place of work. This immersion in the creative process is explained by critics Millet's desire to affirm the basic principles of pre-Raphaelism in British art. One of them was an exact image of nature. Even the flowers were 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 artists usually paid less attention to landscape. The model was a young girl Elizabeth Siddal. She was then only 19 years old. Later, she became famous as a poetess, painter and model of the Pre-Raphaelites, as well as her beloved Dante Rosseti.
While working in the studio, Mille forced the girl to lie in the bath for a long time. And although the water in it was heated with special lamps, Elizabeth caught a cold. She even sent the artist a 50 pound doctor's prescription. In addition, the artist purchased for the model an old dress with floral embroidery worth 4 pounds.
Symbolism
The painting "Ophelia" due to the dominant image of nature, variegation is filled with symbolic meaning. So, for example, "bizarre garlands", which the heroine interwoven in the plot, consist of buttercups - a symbol of infantilism. A weeping willow leaning over a girl personifies rejected love. Daisies carry a sense of innocence, and nettles carry 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 flower of adonis floating near Ophelia’s right hand symbolizes grief.
Exhibition in Moscow
Today, Pre-Raphaelite artists and their paintings cause a lot of curiosity and delight. “Ophelia” and many other masterpieces of the famous Brotherhood constituted a magnificent exposition. On June 11, 2013, it opened to 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 female portraits.
Four rooms were allocated for the exposition, which, by the way, never remained without visitors. Of particular interest were Shakespearean images. It was in this section of the Pre-Raphaelite paintings that Ophelia occupied a central place.
Also, a literary project - a collection of "The Poetic World of the Pre-Raphaelites" - and an educational program for children and adults were timed to coincide with the organization.
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, a closing day was announced October 13.
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 made it possible 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 the Land of the Rising Sun met her. And this time only 60 works of English watercolor masters were presented. Mille's Ophelia painting in Japan was also among them.