Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore: The Guardian
Her lips are parted, her hands grasp the air and her eyes are half-open, as if in sublime submission. The tragic heroine Ophelia – as represented in John Everett Millais’s 1852 painting – lies in a near orgasmic state at the moment of her death.
But if reproductions of the image are now so ubiquitous as to be un-noteworthy – adorning gift cards, purses and tote bags – it is worth remembering that at the time of its creation Ophelia was considered by many to be scandalous. …Read More
Pictured: Ophelia by John Everett Millais, 1851-52. Photograph: Tate, London 2018/Supplied: NGA