Inspired by Shakespeare, John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) recreates Hamlet's Opehelia as she is descending into madness: capturing her last moments before drowning.I recently discovered some of the more hidden meaning with in this piece. The wet stringy hair is a mirror of an "unbalanced state or a wandering mind". The blood red flowers are for her imminent death, white are for her chastity. A flower crown, her ties to the royal house of Denmark.
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Jean Plaidy
12 comments:
That's my bookmark I've been using since my b'day in July that Arleigh sent me!
I LOVE it and all the other Pre-Raphaelite paintings; I've actually just ordered some for my newsletter giveaways!
I think that is how I first got hooked on them too. Bookmarks, cards, and I even have a photo album. I am going to do a bunch more for Sundays art since moving I found an old book I had on them and there are a bunch in it that I have never seen before.
Lizzy, I adore this painting. I still have some notecards with this image that I bought in England. I even put one of them in a little, old-fashioned frame.
I'm a huge fan of the pre-Raphaelites. I have a big box of framed prints (including several Waterhouse images) in storage. When I lived alone, they covered my walls, but after I married, I thought they'd be a bit too feminine and thought it might be nice to give my husband the chance to hang up some of his favorite things as well. :)
So pretty! I don't know much about art, but I do like this painting.
I remember this painting - I love it. I just find it so interesting and I always love hearing about the hidden symbolism.
Leslie, we are in the same boat mine got pushed out when we got married too. I think there might just be a way to slide it into the new house though.
I too enjoy the hidden symbolism and a if a picture is worth a 1,000 words then this one must be a million.
Learning the hidden symbolism makes me look at the painting more closely.
I love this blog so much I can hardly stand it. There is something to be said of art that inspire as seen through the eyes of one with a cultivated eye, unfortunately I’m not the one best able to say it but I’ll say this. You my dear have an eye for the divine. I will follow with interest and appreciation.
Sincerely,
Simone
I am also a big Pre-Raphaelite fan (dating, perhaps, from my first reading of The Light Heart by Elswyth Thane, part of her beloved Williamsburg novels, which I highly recommend) and am planning a trip to Montreal to see the big Waterhouse Exhibit which is there until 2/7/09.
http://www.museesmontreal.org/main.php?i=18&t=musees&d=1&l=e
Elizabeth it makes you look deeper once you know the secrets. I am glad you enjoy this one.
The romantic query letter and the happy-ever-after awhhhh thank you so much. Good thing you found me!
I promise all I have many more. Two in particular are on the top of my list. It makes waiting until Sunday hard.
CLM I will defiantly check the novels out, I am down for anything that is related to Pre-Raphaelite. You are so lucky I am green with envy.
Lizzy that's soo interesting- I never knew abut those details (especially the stringy hair one...) I love this series:)
I know the hair threw me for a loop. I was really surprised because I had always thought that her hair was beautiful. I had never noticed that it is stringy: maybe because it is such a beautiful piece that I was too busy looking at the big picture and not the details.
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