A museum in Germany experienced an unexpected influx of Taylor Swift fans due to a painting that resembles the opening scene of Swift’s current hit music video, “The Fate of Ophelia.” The Hessische Landesmuseum in Wiesbaden saw a surge in visitors over the weekend, including families from various cities 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 featuring Ophelia, a character from Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet.” Ophelia, a noblewoman who meets a tragic end in the play, is depicted in Heyser’s painting wearing white surrounded by water lilies, believed to have been created around 1900.
The museum’s director noted the similarities between the painting and Swift’s music video, where the singer embodies the role of Ophelia. The museum staff recognized the resemblance and decided to host a special tour for Swift fans, leading to widespread online attention.
Excited by the unexpected spotlight, the museum announced that fans dressed as Taylor Swift or Ophelia could attend the tour for free. Despite attempts to reach out to Swift, the museum has not connected with the singer yet. The director expressed a desire to show Swift the original painting and acknowledged the opportunity to attract new visitors to the museum.
While uncertain if Swift directly drew inspiration from the painting, the museum welcomes the increased interest sparked by the connection to the popular song “The Fate of Ophelia,” which has topped charts in both Germany and the United States.