A painting at a German museum has drawn unexpected attention from Taylor Swift fans due to its resemblance to a scene in Swift’s popular music video, “The Fate of Ophelia.” The Hessische Landesmuseum in Wiesbaden saw a surge in visitors over the weekend, including families from as far as Hamburg and American families from a nearby U.S. army base.
The visitors, known as Swifties, flocked to see an Art Nouveau painting by Friedrich Heyser depicting Ophelia, a character from Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet.” Ophelia, a noblewoman who meets a tragic end in the play, is portrayed in Heyser’s painting surrounded by white water lilies, believed to be created around 1900.
In Swift’s music video, she embodies the role of Ophelia, mirroring the imagery from Heyser’s painting. The museum staff noticed the resemblance and decided to host a special tour for Swift fans, leading to widespread online buzz about the Ophelia painting.
The museum is excited about the attention and has offered free entry to fans dressed as either Taylor Swift or Ophelia for a tour on November 2. Museum director Andreas Henning expressed interest in showing the original painting to Swift, acknowledging the opportunity to introduce new audiences to the museum.
While uncertain if Swift directly drew inspiration from the painting, the museum acknowledges the impact of the song, which has topped charts in both Germany and the United States. Despite attempts to reach out to Swift, they have not yet made contact with the singer.
