John Everett Millais

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John Everett Millais

• Ophelia

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John Everett Millais

• Born in 1829
• Helped found Pre-Raphaelites in 1848
• Died in 1896

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Ophelia

• Millais took 8 months to complete the work.
• Finished in 1852
• Millais painted both in nature and in the studio.

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Hogsmill River
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The Story

• Based on Shakespeares Hamlet
• Ophelia was driven mad when her father, Polonius,
  was murdered by her lover, Hamlet.
• The suicide itself is only mentioned in
  conversation.

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The Model

• Elizbeth Siddall
• Married to Rosetti
• 19 years old in Ophelia

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Symbolism

• Flowers
• Flowers are mentioned in Hamlet and have symbolic
  merit of their own.
• More than 15 different species present in
  Ophelia

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Weeping Willows

• Symbolize lost love and sadness

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Nettles

• Symbolize pain
• Pain of loss
• Pain of suicide

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Daisies

• Mentioned in Act IV Scene V of Hamlet
• Symbolize innocence

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Hidden Symbols?

• Some people claim to see a skull in the painting.
• Left of the Forget-me-nots on the right side of
  the painting.
• Could just be a shadow

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