Ophelia | Léopold Burthe | 1851 John Faed where a ship sails away

where a ship sails away

The composition features a cluster of irises rendered in rich blues and purples

The painting features a solitary figure standing on a rocky outcrop

gestures toward the center of the composition

von Stuck’s guardian exudes an eerie

Ophelia | Léopold Burthe | 1851 John Faed where a ship sails awayAbout the artwork: Lopold Burthes Ophelia presents Shakespeares tragic heroine at the threshold between life and death, focusing on the moment described in Act IV, Scene VII of Hamlet, when Ophelia falls near the willow and is carried away by the water. Painted in 1851, the work reflects the nineteenth century fascination with Shakespearean tragedy and with fragile, psychologically charged female figures. Burthe, a French painter associated with