Ophelia: "There's fennel for you, and columbines" (Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 5) 1787

This stipple engraving of Ophelia was created by William Wynne Ryland, sometime in the late 18th century. The oval composition draws our eye to the tragic figure of Ophelia. Ryland uses delicate stippling to create subtle gradations of light and shadow, evoking a sense of fragility. The architectural backdrop, rendered in muted tones, serves to frame Ophelia, but it is her dynamic pose which captures our attention. Note how Ryland uses the contrast between the static, structured architecture and the flowing lines of Ophelia's figure to highlight her emotional distress. She is destabilizing the architecture, she is acting against the structured setting she is in. The flowers she holds are not merely decorative; they are symbolic, functioning as signs of her fragmented state of mind, itself a commentary on the patriarchal structures that confine her. This print, through its formal qualities, invites us to reflect on the themes of madness, representation, and the tragic fate of women within the cultural narratives of the time.