Ophelia's Song, plate 12 from Hamlet

Ophelia's Song, plate 12 from Hamlet is a powerful lithograph created by the pivotal French Romantic artist, Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863), in 1834. This print belongs to a significant, highly influential series illustrating William Shakespeare's tragic play, Hamlet. Delacroix was deeply drawn to Shakespearean drama, finding in its themes of passion, madness, and melancholy ideal subject matter for his expressive style. The medium is a lithograph executed masterfully in black ink on delicate off-white China paper, which was meticulously laid down onto a supportive white wove paper. This sophisticated use of lithography in black exemplifies the importance of prints during the 19th century in France, enabling Romantic masters to disseminate their dramatic interpretations of literary classics widely.

The subject, Ophelia, represents the tragic end of innocence, shown here in her moments of madness and melancholy before her death. Delacroix often imbued his interpretations of literary figures with the intense emotional and psychological depth characteristic of his Romantic approach. The dramatic contrast achieved by the lithographic technique enhances the pathos and tragedy inherent in Ophelia's song. This early work demonstrates Delacroix’s lifelong fascination with the intersection of visual art and literature. Preserved in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, this piece is recognized as a key part of the artist's graphic output. As a historically significant work of printmaking, images of this piece often enter the public domain, ensuring its continued study and appreciation by scholars worldwide.