Beatrice 1866

This hazy photograph, Beatrice, was made by Julia Margaret Cameron, a British photographer of the Victorian era. Cameron was part of a movement that challenged the very definition of photography, which in the 19th century, was becoming increasingly popular and democratized. Photography was either used for scientific purposes or portraiture, and she challenged the accepted aesthetic standards of sharp focus and precise detail. Here, the soft focus and the classical drapery around the young woman’s head, align Cameron’s work to a particular ideal of beauty, evoking a Pre-Raphaelite painting. It's as if Cameron sought to elevate photography to the status of "high art" by emulating painting. This was very important in an art world in which photography was regarded as a lesser medium. Historians of photography can make use of institutional archives to find out more about the Victorian art world and understand the changing social status of art.