James Fox asks how John Everett Millais's Ophelia became one of the most famous artworks in the world.
John Everett Millais's Ophelia is an art world celebrity. It's a star of Tate Britain, attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to a recent exhibition in Shanghai and floats serenely across the internet, racking up huge numbers of likes and memes. But how and why did Ophelia hit the big time?
In this series, art historian Dr James Fox traces the twists of fate and happy accidents that pushed a handful of artworks to the forefront of global pop culture. Painted in 1851, Ophelia's fame is a story of fashion and feminism. And, as James discovers, the unlikely combination of Shakespeare, Ken Russell, Elizabeth Siddal, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Taylor Swift and the most famous bath-tub in the history of art.
In conversation with James are the art historian Dr Rebecca Marks, tattooist Jessica Stratton, the actress Judith Paris and Lord Lloyd Webber.
Produced by TBI Media
Producer – Julia Johnson
Exec Producer – Jonathon Mayo
Junior Producer – Jamie Adam
Sound Design - Tom Burchell
Production Manager – Sera Baker
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- Thu 9 Jul 202609:30BBC Radio 4
