“The First Madness of Ophelia” is a literary painting created by Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1864. This Romanticism artwork, meticulously rendered on paper, measures 39.37 by 29.21 centimeters and is currently housed in the Oldham Gallery, Oldham, UK.
The artwork vividly portrays a key moment from William Shakespeare’s play, “Hamlet,” depicting Ophelia in the throes of her first descent into madness. The central figure, Ophelia, dressed in a flowing blue gown adorned with a floral garland in her hair, holds a string of flowers and herbs in her hand, symbolizing her slipping grasp on reality. Beside her stands a man clothed in dark attire with a red cloak, engaged in a conversation with two older figures who are dressed in richly patterned robes. The background, subtly ornate with dark figures and patterns, augments the narrative of Ophelia’s tragic mental state, encapsulating the emotional intensity that Rossetti is renowned for within the Romantic movement.
