Joseph Severn

The Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth, Derbyshire;
His sale, Sotheby's Belgravia, 25 March 1975, lot 49;
Private collection

London, International Exhibition, March 1862, no.401;
Tokyo, The Bunkamura Museum of Art, and other venues in Japan, The Victorian Imagination, 1998, no. 2

STRUCTURE The canvas has been relined. There is fine craquelure to the paint surface, consistent with a picture of this age; otherwise the work appears in good overall condition. ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT UV light reveals an opaque varnish which makes the surface diffcult to read conclusively; there appear to be some areas of infilling to the background and a few small areas to her skirts. FRAME Held under glass in an attractive exhibition frame (probably the original); unexamined out of the frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Ophelia, the daughter of Polonius in Shakespeare's Hamlet, is driven to madness by the fear that her lover Hamlet has abandoned her. Joseph Severn shows her musing on her supposed loss by forming the letters of his name by arranging foxgloves against an earthy bank. The tragic outcome of her misery – her death by drowning – is alluded to by the garland of poppies that hangs around her, as if to enfold her, while in the background is seen the stream where she will commit suicide.

Severn studied at the Royal Academy Schools for six years from 1813, winning a gold medal for historical painting. In 1820 he travelled with the poet Keats to Rome, and was with him when he died in 1821. Severn remained in Rome until 1840, on frequent occasions sending paintings back to the Royal Academy summer exhibitions – usually literary or biblical subjects, but also including genre subjects set in Rome or the Roman Campagna. He lived in London for two decades from 1840, during most of which period he continued as an exhibitor at the Royal Academy, but then in 1860 was appointed British Consul in Rome, which post he held until 1872. In retirement he remained in the city, and was eventually buried in the Protestant Cemetery next to Keats. 

Severn's Ophelia dates from the time of his return to Rome as British Consul, but seems likely to have been done in England (the model was a certain Miss Jane Mowatt). It was first shown in public in the International Exhibition of 1862, where it was seen as part of an ambitious display of historic and contemporary British art. CSN