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Ofèlia ofegada

Ofèlia ofegada, also known as Ofélia Afogada, is a 1986 sculpture by Madrid-born artist Francisco López Hernández. It is located in the Vil·la Cecília gardens in Barcelona, Spain, within the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district. The work was commissioned by architects Elías Torres and José Antonio Martínes Lapeña for placement among the gardens’ channels. Realistic and life-size, the sculpture shows a reclining woman on a rectangular base, surrounded by a constant flow of water. It refers to the tragic ending of the Shakespeare character Ophelia from Hamlet and is part of an area known for avant-garde sculptures among its vegetation.

Ophelia Drowned reclining on a platform in a shallow canal beside greenery and a sunlit wall.
Ophelia Drowned rests in a shallow canal, with reflections of trees and sky around the sculpture.
April 2013 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ophelia Drowned sculpture lying on a submerged base in a shallow green-tinged water channel
Ophelia Drowned lies in a shallow water channel beside hedges and a light-colored wall.
May 2022 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ophelia Drowned sculpture lying on a platform in a shallow pool of water
Ophelia Drowned rests on a platform partly submerged in shallow water.
April 2013 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Weathered green information sign for Ofèlia ofegada by Francisco López Hernández, mounted on a concrete base outdoors.
Informational sign for Ofèlia ofegada by Francisco López Hernández, set among trees.
April 2013 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
A narrow outdoor water channel with a wooden platform, bordered by a dense hedge and a stone wall.
A wooden platform spans a narrow garden water channel beside dense greenery and a stone wall.
May 2022 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleOfèlia Ofegada
TypeSculpture

Creator

ArtistFrancisco López Hernández
Artist nationalityMadrid-born Spanish artist

Historical context

Date created1964
Installation date1986

Materials

MaterialBronze

Location and ownership

Current locationVil·la Cecília gardens, Barcelona, Spain
DistrictSarrià-Sant Gervasi, Barcelona
Specific locationOne of the canals surrounding the gardens

Discovery and provenance

Commissioned byArchitects Elías Torres and José Antonio Martínez Lapeña
Commission purposeTo be placed inside one of the canals around the gardens of Villa Cecilia

Physical characteristics

ScaleLife-size
BaseRectangular base

Appearance

StyleRealistic representation
SubjectA woman lying down on a rectangular base, surrounded by a continuous flow of water

Iconography and meaning

Literary referenceRefers to the tragic end of Ophelia in William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Related figureOphelia
Related authorWilliam Shakespeare
Related workHamlet