Ophelia
Medium
etching on wove paper
Dimensions
plate: 40.2 × 32.7 cm (15 13/16 × 12 7/8 in.) sheet: 59 × 43.6 cm (23 1/4 × 17 3/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Thomas Vogler in memory of his brother Donald J. Vogler
Accession Number
2017.53.98
Art Historical Context
John Hamilton Mortimer's *Ophelia* (1775) is a captivating etching that draws from Shakespeare's tragedy *Hamlet*, depicting the ill-fated heroine in her moment of drowning—a poignant symbol of madness and melancholy. Created during the late 18th, when Shakespearean themes surged in popularity amid Britain's growing fascination with dramatic literature and the emerging Gothic sensibility, Mortimer's work reflects the era's blend of Rococo elegance and proto-Romantic intensity. As a leading British artist known for his expressive history paintings and prints, Mortimer infused his figures with e...
About the Artist
John Hamilton Mortimer · 1740–1779
Comment on works: History; Portraits; Genre