Ophelia by Millais: The Most Famous Death in Art History (1852)
She floats among flowers with open hands, mouth parted on a last breath or an unfinished line. John Everett Millais's Ophelia (1851-1852) turns Shakespeare's drowned girl into Pre-Raphaelite evidence: every leaf named, every symbol loaded, the Hogsmill River made as exact as grief. Quick facts Artist: John Everett Millais (1829-1896) Date: 1851-1852 Medium: Oil on canvas Collection: Tate Britain, London Notable fact: Model Elizabeth Siddal posed in a bathtub; Millais painted the landscape on site near the Hogsmill with Holman Hunt John Everett Millais, Ophelia , 1851-1852. Oil on canvas. Tate Britain, London. Public domain. Faithful to Gertrude's Report Millais follows the queen's speech: Ophelia falling while gathering flowers. Arms open like a quiet crucifixion; pale face and half-open eyes hold the instant after speech fails. The arched top edge - a Pre-Raphaelite habit - frames nature as chapel. Botany as Emotion Pansies, willow, nettles, daisi...