Zoe, Maid of Athens 1866

"Zoe, Maid of Athens" is a portrait photograph created by Julia Margaret Cameron in 1866. Known for her pioneering work in portraiture, Cameron captures the ethereal beauty of her subject, a young woman named Zoe, with a soft-focus style and dramatic lighting. The image showcases Cameron's mastery of the wet-collodion process, a complex photographic technique that yielded rich tones and textures. The subject's delicate features and introspective gaze contribute to the overall sense of romanticism, a hallmark of Cameron's work. This iconic photograph, now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, is a testament to Cameron's impact on the development of photographic art.