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.
That's my bookmark I've been using since my b'day in July that Arleigh sent me!
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteLizzy, 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.
ReplyDeleteI'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.
ReplyDeleteI remember this painting - I love it. I just find it so interesting and I always love hearing about the hidden symbolism.
ReplyDeleteLeslie, 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
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.
ReplyDeletehttp://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.
ReplyDeleteThe 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:)
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love John William Waterhouse!
ReplyDeleteHe was a very talented artist and I love his art too. He has a way of making it so real yet so fantastically fiction. One of the greats in my book.
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