The Fate of Ophelia (with help from the Museum itself!)
Did anyone listen to the new Taylor Swift album? 'The Life Of a Showgirl?'. I did.
And her new single, 'The Fate of Ophelia', had a depiction of her lying down at the start of the video, that's an actual painting.
I thought I give an detailed work on how it came to be, and why Taylor used this painting in her video.
I believe most Swifties (that's Taylor Swift's fanbase) but for those who are passing by or just seeing the video and wanted to know what this is, this is for you. Or maybe art fanatics who love art would appreciate this artwork.
As many know, 'The Fate of Ophelia' is the lead single from Taylor Swift's latest album, 'The Life of a Showgirl' and the first track off the album. It was rumoured that this song is about her fiancée, Kansas City Chiefs Tight End, Travis Kelce.
In the music video, it shows the house (which looks identical to the start of the music video for 'Delicate') and a painting depicting 'Ophelia' from German painter, 'Friedrich Heyser'.
Below is the whole painting. (taken from Wikipedia page)
In this particular painting (not to be confused with Sir John Everett Millais painting of Ophelia from 'Hamlet') she is shown lying down in a lake full of red flowers, and her white dress soaked in water. The colour of the painting is resembling pale-like colours symbolizing the fate that she was in.
Thanks to Dr. Martina Brand from the Museum Weisbaden, the museum that hosts the painting itself has told me that there were a bunch of Taylor Swift fans that came over to see the painting itself, and unlike the Tate Modern version from Sir John Everett Millias, it says its a 'direct comparison' to the similar painting that Taylor used in the music video.
The history behind it is even interesting. From Martina's email and the curator, Peter Forster, the painting's title is 'The Resurrection of Ophelia' and it was donated to the museum by F.W. Neess. In the email, the purchaser states that;
"the painting is part of a trilogy and may have formed the central part of a sophisticated salon decoration. Heyser also demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the text in his depiction of the surrounding nature, rendering it in a manner befitting Shakespeare."
This also talks about the history behind the painter himself, according to Dr. Brand, she states that he studied in bunch of critically-acclaimed schools including the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden, Académie Julian in 1890. A member of art groups including; "Allgemeine Deutsche Kunstgenossenschaft (General German Art Association) and the 'Grün-Weiß' (Green-White) artists' group", founded in Dresden.
He passed away in 1921.
If you are in the Museum Weisbaden on November 2nd at 3 pm - which is sold out! - you can get a guided tour and combines her songs together.
On that day, come dressed up as Ophelia herself or Taylor Swift inspired outfits, you get free admission to the museum!
More information is found on this link and thanks again to Dr. Martina Brand for helping me find more research regarding this wonderful painting!
Here is also Taylor Swift's new song, 'The Fate of Ophelia' with herself!
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophelia_(Heyser)
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