A painting by German portrait and landscape artist Friedrich Wilhelm Theodor Heyser could have served as inspiration for the opening sequence of Taylor Swift's new music video "The Fate of Ophelia." The artwork, created around 1900, is currently housed at the Museum Wiesbaden in Germany.
The tragic fate of Ophelia represents a cornerstone of world literature, immortalized in Shakespeare's drama "Hamlet." In the play, Ophelia is a young Danish noblewoman, daughter of Polonius and Hamlet's beloved, who descends into madness after her lover accidentally murders her father. Ultimately, Ophelia drowns in a river, though Shakespeare deliberately leaves ambiguous whether her death resulted from an accident or suicide.
Pop superstar Taylor Swift has now tackled this classic story in her new song "The Fate of Ophelia." Rather than accepting Ophelia's death as inevitable, Swift grants the character a happier ending in her interpretation of the tale.
This reimagining becomes evident in the music video for the song, which was released on YouTube early Monday morning and has already garnered millions of streams. The video begins with a tribute to art history, showing Swift emerging from a painting as Ophelia. Many English-language media outlets have speculated that the inspiration came from Sir John Everett Millais' 1852 painting "Ophelia," which currently hangs in the Tate Britain in London.
However, the color scheme of Swift's dress and her pose in the video's opening sequence suggest that a different painting may have served as the actual inspiration. The visual elements more closely align with Friedrich Wilhelm Theodor Heyser's "Ophelia," created around 1900. This work by the German portrait and landscape painter can be admired at the Museum Wiesbaden in Germany.
Recognizing this potential connection, the Museum Wiesbaden is hosting a special event dedicated to Heyser's painting. On Sunday, November 2nd, starting at 3:00 PM, the museum will offer a brief guided tour of Heyser's work that connects Swift's song with the historical background of the Ophelia character.
As an added attraction, visitors who arrive at the museum dressed in Taylor Swift-inspired outfits or as the tragic beauty Ophelia will receive free admission, which normally costs 6 euros. This promotional offer highlights the museum's effort to bridge classical art with contemporary pop culture.
