My Beloved Son 1871

Julia Margaret Cameron made this albumen print of her son in England during the 1860s. Cameron was an unusual figure in the history of photography, one who used her status as a wealthy woman to enter a male-dominated artistic field. This image departs from the tradition of formal portraiture prevalent at the time. The soft focus and intimate framing give the image a sense of immediacy, while the title suggests a sentimental relationship between mother and son. It is a very intimate portrayal. We can understand this image as an intervention into the Victorian cult of domesticity, a culture that idealized the home as a space of emotional support. To learn more, one could consult literary sources, domestic advice manuals, and the biographies of other women artists who worked at this time. Understanding the image in its Victorian context allows us to see its progressive qualities.