Taylor Swift fans flock to German museum to view iconic Ophelia painting
A German museum is experiencing an unexpected surge in visitors, thanks to Taylor Swift’s latest album The Life of a Showgirl. The Hessische Landesmuseum in Wiesbaden welcomed hundreds more guests than usual over the weekend, after Swift featured a painting of Shakespeare’s Ophelia in the opening of her viral music video The Fate of Ophelia.
The video, which has already amassed over 65 million views on YouTube, brings the painting to life with Swift at its center. The artwork in question—a haunting portrait of a drowned Ophelia in a white gown, surrounded by flowers—is by German artist Friedrich Heyser and dates back to around 1900.
“We’re really enjoying this attention—it’s a lot of fun,” museum spokesperson Susanne Hirschmann told the Associated Press. She added that visitors had come from across Germany and even from a nearby American military base.
The museum began attracting Swifties after posting online about the painting’s connection to the video. “We noticed the resemblance and put up a notice on our website,” said Hirschmann. “After that, it went viral.”
Social media posts about the painting quickly racked up thousands of likes—far surpassing the museum’s typical engagement. One family reportedly drove five hours from Hamburg just to see the artwork in person.
While less famous than John Everett Millais’s depiction of Ophelia, Heyser’s version similarly portrays the tragic Shakespearean character after her death by drowning. The image also echoes Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl album cover, which shows her partially submerged in water.
Museum director Andreas Henning expressed delight at the global spotlight: “We’re surprised and thrilled that Taylor Swift used this painting as inspiration. It’s a fantastic opportunity to reach new audiences.”
The Life of a Showgirl has already shattered records. In the UK, it became 2025’s biggest opening week album with 304,000 copies sold. In the US, it earned over 4 million equivalent album units in its debut week, surpassing Adele’s 25.
It’s Swift’s third album to top the UK charts in 2025, following Lover (Live From Paris) in February and The Tortured Poets Department in April. It also marks her first studio album since announcing her engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce and reclaiming ownership of her back catalogue.