Another of Nell Diamond’s inspirations for her Hill House Home Nap Dress was Sir John Everett Millais’ painting, “Ophelia.” Let’s put aside, for a moment, that it’s based on the tragic death of the “Hamlet” character Ophelia. According to museum records at Tate, the model, Elizabeth Siddal, who posed for this painting for over four months’ time, was required to float in a tub of water day after day.
Keep in mind that this was a situation without modern-day running water, so Siddal was casually floating in cool water for much of this time. Attempts to keep the water safely warm using lamps often failed, leaving the muse quite ill. It wasn’t until Siddal’s father threatened legal action against the artist that Millais stepped up to cover the costs of her medical bills. So, what can we learn from this?
Well, obviously, no matter how graceful you look in your nap dress, you shouldn’t use it as an excuse to lounge endlessly in the bath. There aren’t many limits to feminine fortitude, but we’ll concede that one. We suggest you allow the water to be your muse and choose a watery-colored lounge dress, like the Linen & Cotton Tie-Waist Maxi Dress from J. Jill or MERSEA’s Esmeralda Maxi Dress, instead.
