John Everett Millais
British · 19th century
English Pre-Raphaelite painter best known for his 1851-52 painting Ophelia, depicting Shakespeare's character drowning amid symbolic flowers.
Connection to Taylor Swift
His painting Ophelia is a central visual reference for The Fate of Ophelia, the album cover of The Life of a Showgirl, and the music video, connecting Taylor's visual and lyrical imagery to Pre-Raphaelite art.
Notable Works
- Ophelia (1851-52), Christ in the House of His Parents
Appears in the Archive
Context within the Archive
Ophelia (painting by John Everett Millais)
Angela & Uncle Jerry extensively discuss the famous 1851-52 painting of Ophelia by John Everett Millais as a visual source for the song, the album cover, and the music video. Uncle Jerry describes the painting's symbolic flowers (forget-me-nots, poppies for death, violets for promises/steadfastness/purity, a broken weeping willow), Ophelia's pose with uplifted hands looking skyward (suggesting a saint or martyr), and the white dress Millais bought for the model Elizabeth Siddal. He notes the painting is in the Tate Britain and speculates Taylor may have seen it in person while living in London. Angela observes that one of the album vinyl variants looks like the Ophelia painting, and Uncle Jerry notes the music video's white dress is similar to the dress in the painting.