Credit: John Everett Millais, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Save
London is no stranger to the limelight when it comes to Taylor Swift. Her love of our capital city has been pretty well-documented in her lyrics over the years. And whilst there’s no direct mention of the Big Smoke in her recently-released album, The Life of a Showgirl; there is a pretty hefty nod towards an iconic painting. And where can that painting be found, I hear you ask? London, of course.
The lead single from the shiny new album comes in the form of ‘The Fate of Ophelia’; an upbeat tune with a rather downbeat undertone. The lyrics reimagine the tragic destiny of the doomed character of Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. And the freshly-premiered music video, and the album cover itself, both heavily reference a very famous painting of the character.
So if you’re looking for another item to add to your to-do Tay-do list, and you fancy getting up-close-and-personal with the artwork in question; I’d highly recommend you heading in the direction of Tate Britain. Because that, my dear Swifties, is who John Everett Millais’ beloved painting has belonged to for almost 130 years.
Credit: akslam, Shutterstock The history of the Ophelia painting
Painted between 1851 and 1852, Ophelia depicts the moment in which the distressed and deceived Hamlet character drowns in a river, following her grief and heartbreak. The Pre-Raphaelite oil painting features a model named Elizabeth Siddal, wearing a fancy dress, lying in a bathtub filled with water (not a far cry from The Life of a Showgirl’s cover shot, hey?).
There are various nods to the painting within Swift’s new music video. However, in Taylor’s version, the narrative is rewritten – and she is saved from the fate of Ophelia. The very last shot of the video sees Swift submerged in water (just as she is on the album cover), an image that heavily resembles Millais’ painting.
Where can you see the Ophelia painting?
The painting was part of the original Henry Tate Gift (which included 65 paintings and two sculptures), and it went on display at (what is now known as) Tate Britain in 1894. The artwork has been on a few tours in its time, but has been back on permanent display at the Tate since 2013. And Londoners (and beyond) can visit the painting for free during the gallery’s opening hours.
So, say you’ll remember me, standing in the Tate Britain, staring at the Ophelia painting, babe.
You’ll find Tate Britain at Millbank, SW1P 4RG and it’s open from 10am-6pm daily. Find out more nad plan your visit here.