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Ophelia (Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 7)

March 1, 1866
Not on view
Here, Hamlet’s rejected lover, her mind unhinged, has fallen into a brook while picking wildflowers. Inspired by an evocative description of Ophelia’s death in Shakespeare’s Hamlet (act 4, scene 7), Millais painted the subject for a London Royal Academy exhibition in 1852; this masterful print reproduces that composition. As a member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Millais challenged artistic convention and spent months outdoors painting the lush setting, and then posed a model in a bathtub in his studio to complete the composition. The painting’s hyperrealistic detail and collapsed space initially unsettled viewers, but this later print encouraged admiration for the groundbreaking conception. Stephenson combined mezzotint, etching, and stipple to evoke the rich silverwork adorning Ophelia’s gown and describe the range of plants and flowers embellishing her watery grave.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Ophelia (Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 7)
  • Artist: After Sir John Everett Millais (British, Southampton 1829–1896 London)
  • Engraver: James Stephenson (British, Manchester 1808–1886 London)
  • Publisher: Henry Graves & Co. (British, active 1827–1926)
  • Subject: William Shakespeare (British, Stratford-upon-Avon 1564–1616 Stratford-upon-Avon)
  • Publisher: The Printsellers' Association, London (British, established 1847)
  • Date: March 1, 1866
  • Medium: Mezzotint, etching and stipple on chine collé; proof
  • Dimensions: Image: 20 11/16 in. × 34 in. (52.5 × 86.3 cm)
    Plate: 25 7/16 × 37 1/16 in. (64.6 × 94.2 cm)
    Sheet: 27 3/8 x 39 3/16 in. (69.5 x 99.5 cm)
    Chine collé: 24 5/16 × 35 13/16 in. (61.7 × 90.9 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
  • Object Number: 49.40.282
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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