Ophelia (Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 4)

Francesco Bartolozzi|James Nixon|William Shakespeare

1784 · Etching and stipple engraving, printed in brown ink; fourth state of four · Drawings and Prints

Ophelia appears in act 4 of Shakespeare's play, her mind unhinged by her father's murder. Singing nonsense rhymes, she distributes herbs to the king, queen and her brother then, soon afterward, slips into a stream while picking flowers, and drowns. Gertrude, the queen describes this tragedy thus: There with fantastic garlands did she make, Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples.... There, on the pendent bough her coronet weeds, Clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke, When down her weedy trophies and herself, fell in the weeping book... Bartolozzi's engraving, based on a drawing by Nixon, combines elements from both episodes to characterize Ophelia's tragic end.

Artist

Francesco Bartolozzi|James Nixon|William Shakespeare

Date

1784

Medium

Etching and stipple engraving, printed in brown ink; fourth state of four

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917