Ophelia's Death
1843
Medium
Lithograph in black on white wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 15.8 × 25.7 cm (6 1/4 × 10 1/8 in.); Sheet: 35.9 × 54.9 cm (14 3/16 × 21 5/8 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
66131
Art Historical Context
Eugène Delacroix'sOphelia's Death* (1843) captures a poignant moment from Shakespeare's *Ham*, where the tragic heroine Ophelia drowns amid floating flowers. As a leading figure of French Romanticism, Delacroix the scene with emotional intensity and dramatic naturalism, hallmarks of his style that rebelled against the rigid forms of Neoclassicism. Thisograph reflects his fascination with literary themes, blending sublime beauty with melancholy to evoke the fragility of life and madness. Printed in black ink on white wove paper, the work measures a modest image size of 15.8 × 25.7 cm within a ...
About the Artist
Eugène Delacroix · 1798–1863
Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863) stands as the defining figure of French Romanticism and a pivotal bridge to modernism. Born in Charenton-Saint-Maurice near Paris, he came from distinguished lineage—his mother descended from the prestigious Oeben-Riesener furniture dynasty, while persistent speculation suggested the statesman Talleyrand may have been his biological father, a theory supported by physic...