Julia Margaret Cameron, The Mountain Nymph Sweet Liberty, 1866, albumen print © The Royal Photographic Society Collection at the V&A, acquired with the generous assistance of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Art Fund. Museum no. RPS.1241-2017

Written by Simran Tuteja

When Julia Margaret Cameron first started pursuing the art of photography in 1863, her portraits were subjected to criticism. But nowadays, the audience looks at her work, and they don’t hold back from praising her eccentric techniques and innovative approaches. She used a large format camera and the wet collodion process for her artworks. For the first time in the United States, an extensive collection of works by Cameron has been on display at MOPA@SDMA from May 6, 2023, and will run until September 3, 2023.

The exhibition displays a portrait titled “I Wait (1872)” that features a young girl gazing into the camera. Her hair is messy, and her folded arms are resting on a platform covered with a piece of cloth. The artist has beautifully captured her innocent and delicate face, which is complemented perfectly by white angelic wings. The aesthetics and power of the image mesmerize the viewer and entice the audience to drown in the photograph's beauty.

Julia Margaret Cameron, I Wait, 1872, albumen print © The Royal Photographic Society Collection at the V&A, acquired with the generous assistance of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Art Fund. Museum no. RPS.1297-2017

Another photograph, “The Whisper of the Muse (1865),” focuses on three subjects: two young girls and an old bearded man who happens to be the British painter GF Watts whom the artist considered her chief artistic advisor. Cameron drew inspiration from the painting “The Evangelist Matthew Inspired by the Angel (1661)” by the Dutch artist Rembrandt. In her reinterpretation, the artist mesmerizes the audience by portraying the painter as a musician, symbolizing art. The girl on the right appears to be whispering something, possibly inspiration, into the ear of the male subject. However, the third subject, the young girl on the left leaning on the male subject's arm and staring at the lens, is not a part of the original painting but an addition made by Cameron. The artist impresses the audience through their use of creative expression.

Julia Margaret Cameron, The Whisper of the Muse, 1865, albumen print © The Royal Photographic Society Collection at the V&A, acquired with the generous assistance of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Art Fund. Museum no. RPS.1262:1-2017

Julia Margaret Cameron was born in June 1815 in Calcutta, British India, and died at the age of 63 in Kalutara, British Ceylon. She first laid her hands on a camera at the age of 48 and went on to capture thousands of photographs and publish two books even though her contemporary critics considered her photographs over-theatrical and amateurish. Through her photography, she connected with notable figures of her time, such as poet Alfred Lord Tennyson and naturalist Charles Darwin. One of her subjects, Alice Lidell, inspired Lewis Caroll's Alice's Adventure in Wonderland. Her skills have left a lasting impact on photographers all over the world.