Millais’ Ophelia Returns to Tate Britain

John Everett Millais, Ophelia (1851–52) Photo: Tate Images.

Following a successful international tour, the Tate Britain’s pre-Raphaelite paintings have come back to the museum, The Telegraph reports. The works being returned include masterpieces such as Ophelia (1851-1852) by John Everett Millais and The Lady of Shalott (1888) by John William Waterhouse.

Picturing the heroine of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia, (1851-1852) is one of the Tate Britain’s premier attractions. The painting, along with the other pieces that make up the institutions’ pre-Raphaelite collection has proved equally popular abroad. In the past year, the collection attracted an audience of over 1 million people in Washington, Moscow, Tokyo and Turin.

Penelope Curtis, director of the Tate Britain said “It has been fascinating to see how popular the pre-Raphaelites have been in different international contexts and how they resonate with other cultures.”

The returned paintings are now back on display in the museum. Curtis added “It is great to welcome them back and to be able to integrate them into our permanent displays again.”


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