Sir John Herschel 1867

Curator: This is Julia Margaret Cameron's 1867 photograph, "Sir John Herschel," currently residing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My first thought is this… it feels incredibly intimate. The softness of the focus makes him seem like he’s emerging from a dream. Like he’s both there and not quite. Curator: It's interesting you say that, given Cameron's conscious manipulation of photographic techniques. Her soft focus was a deliberate choice, rejecting the clinical precision favored at the time. Considering this was a portrait of a very important astronomer, one who continued his father's work cataloging the stars, the softening creates a feeling of humanism and approaching the sitter as a subject, rather than only an important personality. Editor: Exactly! It feels almost radical. He is stripped of any scientific context. Look at that hair—a chaotic halo. He doesn’t strike me as a meticulous man of science here, but as a thinking, feeling being. The depth of field isn’t as important as capturing a specific, intense mood. Curator: The lack of detail arguably elevates Herschel from a specific individual to a more universal figure—a kind of emblem of wisdom, or the ravages of time, even. She's playing with these romantic ideals. Also, considering her role as a woman photographer in a largely male-dominated field at the time, claiming the freedom to approach the genre this way… I find it significant. Editor: Yes, yes! This feels like more than just an attempt at documentation, you know? The sepia tones contribute to the overall ethereal feeling. This image, this treatment, speaks to me about her need for some emotional register of Herschel. A truth that exists apart from external societal value or achievement. It has its own story to tell! Curator: And isn’t that the most exciting function of art, anyway? I’m so glad we were able to spend some time contemplating this fascinating intersection of Victorian values, scientific progress, and a woman’s subjective artistic vision. Editor: Totally agree. Every time I look at it, I see something new! What an invitation to linger and discover.