Some of Taylor Swift’s most loyal fans have descended upon the art world in droves to catch a glimpse at a painting she references in her new music video for the song “The Fate of Ophelia”, which was released on her most recent album The Life of a Showgirl.
While there was initially more attention paid to the better-known John Everett Millais painting Ophelia (1851–52) in London’s Tate collection, the singer highlights a different iteration of the famed tale directly at the beginning of her music video.
In the opening scene, viewers can see Swift as Ophelia in a framed painting that more closely resembles Art Nouveau painter Friedrich Heyser’s Ophelia (ca. 1900), which hangs in the Wiesbaden State Museum in Germany. Her white dress, pose, and the background all mimic the original. As a result, the museum saw hundreds of additional visitors last weekend.
“We’re surprised and happy that Taylor Swift chose this painting from the Museum Wiesbaden as a model for her video,” museum director Andreas Henning told Monopol. “This is, of course, a great opportunity to introduce people to the museum who don’t yet know us.”
It is unclear why Swift chose this specific version over other depictions. The video is filled with a number of other references throughout, including an end shot that recalls the album cover that previously drew comparisons with the Millais painting.
The “The Fate of Ophelia” track refers to the character who meets a tragic end in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. In the play, Hamlet accidentally kills Ophelia’s father, causing her to break up with her lover. She becomes so consumed by grief that she ultimately drowns herself. For her part, Swift has attempted to reclaim that narrative in this song.
