Ophelia by John Everett Millais - 1851

John Everett Millais clearly illustrates the Pre-Raphaelite`s early involvement with Nature in his painting of Ophelia. The intricate botanical perfection seen in its depiction of botanical features - the plants and flowers of the riverbank where Ophelia lies drowned – were seen as being even more accurate than those shown in early forms of photography, developing at this time. Realistic depictions of flowers and foliage such as pansies, violets, nettles and willow are shown with great attention to detail (although one criticism was that they could not all bloom at the same time). Millais spent months sketching on the banks of a river at Ewell in Surrey to create this.