ARTHUR HUGHES' OPHELIA

It’s not as well known as Millais’ Ophelia, but personally I'm of the opinion that Arthur Hughes' depiction of the tragic girl is the best Ophelia to come from the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and its followers. It was first shown in the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1852, the same year at Millais’ Ophelia and the year Hughes turned twenty.

It hangs in the Manchester City Art Galley, where I saw it the first time. I believe I spent half an hour just staring at it.

Years later Hughes painted another Ophelia, but it is not as good by far.
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FAVOURITE PAINTINGS: ECCE ANCILLA DOMINI

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Dante Gabrile Rossetti's Ecce Ancilla Domini (aka The Annunciation) was painted in 1850, and is thus one of the earliest Pre-Raphaelite paintings. The model for Mary is Rossetti's sister, the poet Christina Rossetti.

As so often in Rossetti's paintings, the perspective is rather weird. But the highly emotional portrayal of Mary makes it a stunning picture, one of Rossetti's best actually.

It is also, as often is the case with Pre-Raphaelite pictures, rather small: 73 x 41,9 cm.

Ecce Ancilla Domini is owned by Tate Gallery. The Victorian Web has an interesting analysis.
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