The Death of Ophelia-An Explication

In the Death of Ophelia, Ophelia is at the forefront of the painting. But she is not a stereotypical Ophelia, she is toned and curvaceous. She appears almost as a Greek heroine in a crown of flowers and with an off white robe with one breast bare. With one strong arm, she holds onto a tree branch so that her body is only partly in the water. Her other hand is at her breast. The water is dark, murky, and almost completely opaque. The ripples in the water and the way that Ophelia’s body is laid out suggests that the current is very strong. The colors in the background are a collection of muddy forest greens and blacks. The background is very blurry and undefined. The painting is very dark except for the sunlight shining on Ophelia. The light illuminates most brightly her body, with her face lightly shadowed. The only other bright point of light in the painting is the bend in the river at the center of the left end of the picture.

The picture appears to be of Ophelia in the moment before she lets go of the branch and therefore falls to her death. The intrigue and mystery of the painting seems to be whether Ophelia is trying to commit suicide, or prevent her death. She may be holding onto the branch to position herself in the middle of the river where she’ll have no chance of surviving. Or, she may have fallen in the river and grabbed onto the branch in a last desperate act to survive. Her expression is sad but slightly ambiguous. If taken from the angle that she is committing suicide, it appears that she has thought about it and has now decided her fate. The fact that her face and eyes and directed down towards the river suggest her thoughts are on the river. If she is trying to hold on to life, the look on her face suggests that she has accepted her fate. Either way, the look on her face seems almost spiritual. Her eyes are very soulful and she seems very natural, like she belongs with the river and the trees. She seems in awe of the river, fully realizing its power and majesty.

The light at the bend in the river might suggest an afterlife for Ophelia or a holy presence. Ophelia is presented as a heroine so it is probable that Delacroix believes her to be pure and unsinful and headed to heaven. The light shining on Ophelia, her wreath of flowers, and her white robe seem to highlight her role as heroine.