The pre-raphaelite female muse in Julia margaret cameron’s “idylls of the king” photographs

There has been little discussion of Julia Margaret Cameron’s Idylls of the King photographs over the past decade. My goal with this paper is to bring her Idylls of the King series back into discussion and address its success and relevance in both art history and literature. Scholars Helmut Gernsheim and Marylu Hill have questioned photography as a means to capture the imaginative content of Tennyson’s Arthurian stories and they declared Cameron’s photographs a failure. I argue that her theatrical style, use of props and costumes, obvious posing of her models, and nod to Victorian tableaux vivants capture the true essence of Tennyson’s epic. Her use of the Pre-Raphaelite female muse to portray the Arthurian characters of Elaine, Guinevere, and Vivien places her photographs in direct correlation with Pre-Raphaelite painting as well as popular literature. Her depictions of Tennyson’s epic poem are highly successful and I believe she achieved her personal goal of ennobling photography to the level of High Art.

Fred Forest: o poder da mídia espontânea como elemento de criação artística

Pós-graduação em Artes - IA

Photograph - Julia Cleveland Woodruff and Margaret Julia Woodruff

Black and white photograph, 23 cm x 18 cm, of Julia Cleveland Woodruff posing with Margaret Julia Woodruff. Julia is seated and Margaret is standing. The photo was taken by Dudley Hoyt of New York.

Photograph - Margaret Julia Woodruff Band with Grandmother, Julia Amelia Canby Cleveland

Black and white photograph, enclosed in a folder, 13 ½ x 8 ½ cm, of Margaret Julia Woodruff Band as a child [with her grandmother Julia Amelia Canby Cleveland]. The photograph was taken by A. Joss, successor to E. Poole, St. Catharines, Ontario.

Photograph - Margaret Julia Woodruff Band as an adolescent

Black and white photograph, taken from a scrapbook, 10 cm. x 8 cm., of Margaret Julia Woodruff Band as an adolescent.

Photograph - Margaret Julia Woodruff Band in a Lace Dress

Black and white photograph, 17 cm x 13 ½, of Margaret Julia Woodruff Band in a seated position wearing a lace dress and a string of pearls. The photo was taken by Dudley Hoyt of New York.

Photograph - Margaret Julia Woodruff Band, Side Angle Lace Dress

Black and white photograph, 23 cm x 17 cm, of Margaret Julia Woodruff Band in a seated position, taken from a side angle. She is wearing a lace dress. The photo was taken by Dudley Hoyt of New York.

Photograph - Margaret Julia Woodruff Band, Lace Dress and Wide-Brimmed Hat

Black and white photograph, 23 cm x 17 cm, of Margaret Julia Woodruff Band in a seated position, wearing a lace dress and wide- brimmed hat. The photo was taken by Dudley Hoyt of New York.

Photograph - Margaret Julia Woodruff Band (Full Length Photograph)

Black and white photograph, 24 cm x 16 cm, of Margaret Julia Woodruff Band. This is a full length photograph in which she is wearing a lace dress. The photo was taken by Dudley Hoyt of New York.

Photograph - Margaret Julia Woodruff Band in a Wedding Dress

Black and white photograph, 17 cm x 13 cm, of Margaret Julia Woodruff Band in a seated position, wearing a wedding dress and veil. She is carrying flowers in her hand. A wedding band is evident in this photograph. The photo was taken by Dudley Hoyt of New York.

Photograph - Margaret Julia Woodruff Band in a Wedding Dress #2

Black and white photograph, enclosed in a folder, 17 cm x 13 cm, of Margaret Julia Woodruff Band in a seated position wearing a wedding gown and veil. The photo was taken by Dudley Hoyt of New York.

Photograph - Margaret Julia Woodruff Band in a Wedding Dress, in Silver Frame

Black and white photograph, 12 cm x 9 cm, of Margaret Julia Woodruff Band in a seated position, wearing a wedding dress and veil. The photo was taken by Dudley Hoyt of New York. The photo is encased within an ornate, silver frame which is engraved with the initials “M.J.W.”.

Photograph - Margaret Julia Band standing in front of a brick wall

A photograph of Margaret Julia Band standing in front of a brick wall with ivy or a tree growing in front. She is wearing a dress and gloves.