The Mountain Nymph Sweet Liberty
Photograph
June 1866 (photographed), c. 1884 (printed)
June 1866 (photographed), c. 1884 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In late 1865 Julia Margaret Cameron began using a larger camera, which held a 15 x 12-inch glass negative. Early the next year she wrote to Henry Cole with great enthusiasm – but little modesty – about the new turn she had taken in her work.
Cameron initiated a series of large-scale, close-up heads. These fulfilled her photographic vision, a rejection of ‘mere conventional topographic photography – map-making and skeleton rendering of feature and form’ in favour of a less precise but more emotionally penetrating form of portraiture. Cameron also continued to make narrative and allegorical tableaux, which were larger and bolder than her previous efforts.
Cameron initiated a series of large-scale, close-up heads. These fulfilled her photographic vision, a rejection of ‘mere conventional topographic photography – map-making and skeleton rendering of feature and form’ in favour of a less precise but more emotionally penetrating form of portraiture. Cameron also continued to make narrative and allegorical tableaux, which were larger and bolder than her previous efforts.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Mountain Nymph Sweet Liberty (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Collotype |
| Brief description | Photograph by Julia Margaret Cameron, 'The Mountain Nymph Sweet Liberty' (sitter Mrs. Keene), collotype, 1866, printed later probably before 1884 |
| Physical description | A photograph of a woman (Mrs. Keene) from the shoulders up with loose hair and looking straight ahead. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Nevinson Bequest, 1990 |
| Object history | Nevinson Bequest, 1990 One of a series of 8 photographs probably printed by J.B. Obernetter and Co., Munich, before 1884 [see stamp on E.2746-1990] Inscribed on another print of the same image (whereabouts unknown): 'Come and trip it as you go,/On the light fantastic toe,/And in thy right hand lead with thee/The mountain nymph, Sweet Liberty'/John Milton, 'L'Allegro' 1632 / 'And Freedom rear'd in that august sunrise/ Her beautiful bold brow'./ Alfred Tennyson, 'The Poet', Poems. |
| Production | As the inscription visible on E.2746-1990 and E.2749-1990 indicate, this collotype was made from internegatives (negatives made from rephotographing prints) |
| Association | |
| Literary reference | John Milton, 'L'Allegro', 1632 |
| Summary | In late 1865 Julia Margaret Cameron began using a larger camera, which held a 15 x 12-inch glass negative. Early the next year she wrote to Henry Cole with great enthusiasm – but little modesty – about the new turn she had taken in her work. Cameron initiated a series of large-scale, close-up heads. These fulfilled her photographic vision, a rejection of ‘mere conventional topographic photography – map-making and skeleton rendering of feature and form’ in favour of a less precise but more emotionally penetrating form of portraiture. Cameron also continued to make narrative and allegorical tableaux, which were larger and bolder than her previous efforts. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.2752-1990 |
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| Record created | February 23, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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