This work titled "Ophelia" is by the South African artist Christo Coetzee and was one of his most prized possessions. The painting is a close-up of a young Spanish woman depicting Ophelia from the Shakespearean play, Hamlet. Many painters (especially British), depicted Ophelia after she unalived herself and flowers were often painted as accessories. Coetzee flipped this by having the flowers in her hair rather than the usual pose of holding flowers. Coetzee's painterly style evokes a dreamy, romantic atmosphere with a lavish crown of stylized roses and ribbons. Her face is rendered with soft, blended colors, giving her an ethereal quality. Her eyes, a striking shade of light green, are large and expressive while her pale skin has subtle hints of rosy blush on her cheeks plus lips painted a delicate reddish-pink. The artist has employed a technique that softens the lines of her face, resulting in a somewhat androgynous effect. Surrounding her head is a magnificent flow of pale roses in various shades of white, cream, and blush pink interspersed with small white flowers and green and brown leaves, lending a sense of natural abundance. Light blue ribbons are woven among the flowers, emphasizing the luxuriousness of the headdress while suggesting a sense of both elegance and freedom. A Spanish aristocrat once offered to purchase this painting, but Coetzee refused as it remained one of the artist's prized possessions. The Johannesburg born Coetzee pursued his art studies at the Slade School of Art in London to complement his fine art degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Later, he moved to Europe and become part of the Stadler Stable in Paris before moving to Finestrat in Spain. Later, Coetzee went to Japan where he joined the Gutai Group, the first radical Art Group in post-war Japan. It was there that Coetzee developed his famous art style that ultimately classified him as one of South Africa's leading avant-garde artists.

Ophelia by Christo Coetzee (South African) - Oil on canvas / 1986 - University of Pretoria Museums (South Africa) #womeninart #art #artwork #oilpainting #SouthAfricanArtist #SouthAfricanArt #ChristoCoetzee #Coetzee #UniversityofPretoriaMuseums #womensart #FigurativeArt #beauty #shakespeare #ophelia