Ophelia 1910

John William Waterhouse rendered Ophelia in oil paint to canvas with great emotion. I find myself wondering what it was like for Waterhouse to conjure this scene. Imagine him, brush in hand, layering delicate strokes to capture the ethereal quality of Ophelia’s tragic existence. The weight of her sorrow seems to saturate the canvas. There's something about the cool palette of blues and greens, and the texture of her flowing dress that pulls me in. The fabric almost seems to ripple and sway like the gentle movement of water. You can almost feel the weight of the waterlogged fabric. The placement of the flowers feels intentional as if each one is a symbol, a piece of a puzzle that speaks to the emotional weight of the story. Waterhouse, like other painters, tapped into literature, bringing to life the narratives that captured our collective imagination, using art to create new interpretations.