Ophelia

Available for over a year

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, curator Hannah Squire and Lord Lloyd Webber. Producer – Julia Johnson Executive Producer – Jonathon Mayo Junior Producer – Jamie Adam Sound Design - Tom Burchell Production Manager – Sera Baker A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4