Swifties are flocking to a German museum to see the painting that inspired the video for the star’s hit song, The Fate of Ophelia. Journalist Rachel Loxton interviewed the museum’s director to find out more about Swift’s impact on German art.
It’s not every day that Taylor Swift becomes the hottest topic in a 200-year-old German art museum.
But that’s exactly what’s happened at Museum Wiesbaden in the central state of Hesse.
The cultural venue is seeing a surge in visitors who want to see the real version of the Art Nouveau painting in the music video for The Fate of Ophelia, the first track on Swift’s latest album, The Life of a Showgirl.
“At the moment we are having an absolute ‘Ophelia’ run at the museum, especially on the weekends,” Museum director Dr Andreas Henning told The Local.
The artwork at the centre of the frenzy was painted around 1900 by Dresden artist Friedrich Heyser. Its inspiration is the tragic character Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, who drowns in a river after her lover accidentally kills her father.
Henning said the museum is seeing several hundred Swifties – the nickname for devoted Swift fans – every week.
“They enter the museum and at the desk they ask: ‘Where is Ophelia? Where can I find Ophelia?’ And it’s great because they explore the Art Nouveau collection, and they take the chance to explore the other artworks. They talk with our guides in the museum.
“It really is amazing that this song by Taylor Swift brings such a lot of young people into the museum.
Below is the painting that inspired Taylor Swift’s video:
Friedrich Heyser, Ophelia, ca. 1900. Museum Wiesbaden, Collection F.W. Neess. Photo: Museum Wiesbaden / Bernd Fickert
And here’s Taylor Swift’s music video for The Fate of Ophelia, which has been viewed more than 87 million times on Youtube:
Friendship bracelets for Ophelia
Aside from extra visitors, the museum staff have also been learning about the dedication of Swift fans.
As well as posing for photos next to the painting, many are leaving friendship bracelets in front of it.
“I learned that in the Swift community, the exchange of friendship bracelets is very important,” said Henning.
“These bracelets are really a present for the painting itself,” he said.
Henning adds that the Swifties, who range in age from very young to elderly, are “very respectful” and careful around the art.
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The interest has prompted the museum to stage an Ophelia reception on November 2nd, which sold out in just a few hours. It includes a guided tour explaining the history of the painting, the context, a friendship bracelet workshop and more.
Thanks to its popularity, the museum is planning similar events.
“We will have special tours for school children – already, schools are asking if they can have a tour, starting with Ophelia,” said Henning.
“It’s a chance to get children interested in the history of art. And we will have more events (for everyone) in the future.”
The museum, which is around 20 minutes by train from Frankfurt airport, has also heard via social media that many Swiftie fans from all over the world are planning pilgrimages to see the Ophelia painting.
Andreas Henning, Director of Museum Wiesbaden. Photo: Museum Wiesbaden / Bernd Fickert
Invitation to Wiesbaden
It’s unclear how Swift and her creative team got the inspiration to bring the painting to life. In the opening of the music video, Swift, wearing a white dress and with long blonde hair, is inside a painting, surrounded by water lilies. Of course, in Swift’s song, her heart is saved “from the fate of Ophelia”.
“I would love to learn more about how she came across the painting, what she thinks about it and what she likes about the painting but we don’t have any contact with her management yet, although we have tried,” said Henning.
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He added that the museum would like to host Swift – an offer that was also extended this week by Hesse’s Arts Minister Timon Gremmels.
“I don’t know if she was here and called by to see the painting already,” said Henning. “If not, I would love to show her the painting.”
And is Henning himself a Swiftie?
“Ah, no, I’m sorry,” he said. “But thanks to the painting, I learned a lot about Taylor Swift; about the Swifties. And of course, The Fate of Ophelia is, as we say in German an ‘Ohrwurm’ (a catchy song).”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
