Millais' painting Ophelia is probably one of the best-known paintings in the Tate Britain gallery in London. Its appeal is not only in its intense, saturated colors and the detailed nature, but also the story of how the model caught a chill and died after posing in a bath of water heated only by candles.
The model was Elizabeth Siddall and while it is true she became ill after getting cold in the bath, she didn't die. In fact, in 1860 she subsequently married one of Millais's fellow Pre-Raphaelites, Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Millais bought the dress she wore for Ophelia second hand for four pounds.
There is a lot of symbolism in the flowers included in the paintings, such as crow flowers symbolizing ingratitude and nettles pain. See the Tate's website for close-ups of the flowers and full explanations.
I found it interesting to see Ophelia in the context of the Millais exhibition, surrounded by other paintings by him, where it had the potential for being overwhelmed or lost. But the fact that it still stood out showed me it is indeed a fabulous painting, not just a familiar one.
The model was Elizabeth Siddall and while it is true she became ill after getting cold in the bath, she didn't die. In fact, in 1860 she subsequently married one of Millais's fellow Pre-Raphaelites, Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Millais bought the dress she wore for Ophelia second hand for four pounds.
There is a lot of symbolism in the flowers included in the paintings, such as crow flowers symbolizing ingratitude and nettles pain. See the Tate's website for close-ups of the flowers and full explanations.
I found it interesting to see Ophelia in the context of the Millais exhibition, surrounded by other paintings by him, where it had the potential for being overwhelmed or lost. But the fact that it still stood out showed me it is indeed a fabulous painting, not just a familiar one.