The Death of Ophelia

The Death of Ophelia is a powerful lithograph created by the French Romantic master Eugène Delacroix in 1843. This particular impression represents the second of four known states of the print, showcasing the artist’s nuanced development of the composition on the lithographic stone. Delacroix produced many fine prints throughout his career, often using this medium to explore dramatic subjects previously reserved for oil painting, allowing for rapid execution and wide dissemination of his visual ideas.

The work draws directly from William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, focusing on the tragic demise of the character Ophelia. Delacroix, a leading figure of the Romantic movement, often depicted intense, emotional scenes, and here he captures the moment Ophelia drowns in the river. The composition emphasizes the pathos and romantic intensity associated with the subject of a vulnerable woman succumbing to fate. Unlike highly detailed historical depictions, Delacroix uses dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, characteristic of the lithograph technique, to highlight the central figure surrounded by the natural, flowing water.

This piece demonstrates Delacroix’s enduring commitment to translating complex literary narrative into dramatic visual form. The treatment of the death scene is characteristic of the mid-19th century Romantic fascination with tragic beauty and the interplay between human sorrow and the natural world. This rare print is held in the renowned collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.