Gerhard Richter’s Ophelia (1998) is a striking photographic work, created using a mixture of polychromatic paint, lacquer, and water. The piece is drawn from an earlier painting by Richter dated 1977. The layered forms in Ophelia evoke an ethereal quality, suggesting movement and dissolution, while simultaneously paying homage to one of literature’s most tragic heroines. The title Ophelia references the doomed lover from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, whose descent into madness culminates in her drowning. Yet Richter’s work also nods to John Everett Millais’ iconic Pre-Raphaelite painting Ophelia (1851–52), a visualisation of the tragic character floating serenely in a shallow river just moments after death. Millais’ composition is renowned for its juxtaposition of tranquil beauty and haunting sadness – qualities that Richter subtly incorporates into his own piece.

In Richter’s Ophelia, the coalescing liquid forms suggest a dynamic, almost aqueous environment, echoing the river scene immortalised by Millais. However, Richter abstracts these elements, blurring the boundaries between figuration and abstraction. The swirling, layered pigments seem suspended in time, inviting contemplation of fragility, transience, and the permeable nature of memory.