Items · Battle of Saratoga

A painted plaster sculpture bust of John the Baptist. The head is turned slightly to the left, with closely cropped hair. The face is alert, with raised chin and open eyes. There is a tall integrated mount and base extending from the bust. It features an oval roundel inscribed with the name "John." The sculpture is painted a light beige. (Smithsonian Collections Search Center)

Young Octavian

Young Octavian, or Augustus, shows the adopted heir of Julius Caesar. It is a copy of a sculpture in the Vatican galleries that dates from the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. Many artists copied this piece, and it became so popular that tourists could even order reproductions from a catalogue. Edmonia Lewis’s version was considered to be one of the best available, as described by a descendant of one of her patrons: “[It] seemed to all of us the best reproduction of the original then offered by any artist in Rome.” (Smithsonian Collections Search Center)

Henry Taylor

This image depicts the poet and dramatist, Henry Taylor. Taylor was a frequent sitter for Cameron over the course of her career. In addition to multiple portraits, Taylor is featured in her Idylls of the King work for poet, Lord Tennyson.

George Frederick Watts

This portrait depicts the English sculptor and painter, George Frederick Watts. Cameron and Watts met in the Little Holland House, an artist salon run by the sister of Cameron's husband.

Queen Guinevere

“At the Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson's suggestion, Julia Margaret Cameron created a series of illustrations for his epic poem Idylls of the King. " This image was created to accompany the 10th section of the Idylls entitled "Guinevere." It depicts the figure of Queen Guinevere, wife of King Arthur who falls in love with Sir Lancelot.

The Mountain Nymph Sweet Liberty

This image depicts a female model as a mountain nymph named Sweet Liberty. The image takes its name from the poet John Milton's work entitled L'Allegro, a celebration of the pleasures of life.

The Passing of King Arthur

“At the Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson's suggestion, Julia Margaret Cameron created a series of illustrations for his epic poem Idylls of the King. " This image was created to accompany the final section of the Idylls entitled "the Passing of King Arthur." It depicts the mythic leader in medieval chainmail armor and a helmet, holding tightly to a sword.

The Parting of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere

“At the Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson's suggestion, Julia Margaret Cameron created a series of illustrations for his epic poem Idylls of the King. The images that Cameron created for the Idyllsare the most illustrative works she made; she took great care with the details of costumes and props to insure the photographs' faithfulness to his narrative. She employed a variety of people as models, going to great lengths to ensure the appropriateness of sitter to subject. This image depicts the final embrace of the tragic lovers before they are forever parted.”

Ellen Terry at Age Sixteen

"This contemplative portrait of Ellen Terry shows as a new bride during the Shakespearean actress's honeymoon stay at Freshwater on the Isle of Wight, where Cameron lived. Terry had married the portrait painter George Frederick Watts. Terry's forlorn expression and nervous gesture may be an actress's performance put on for the camera. Employing a non-fading print process used for commercially distributed pictures, Cameron's printer made multiple carbon prints available for purchase by Terry's and Cameron's fans."

Robert Browning

This is a portrait of the English poet and playwright, Robert Browning. It was taken at the Little Holland House, according to inscription on the mount, an artists' salon run by the sister of her husband.