Julia Margaret Cameron’s photographic works in context

Abstract

John Berger's assertion points to the fact that no artistic creation exists in a vacuum. Instead, meaning in any piece of visual art is inextricably connected to the cultural, technological, biographical and socio-historical contexts of its conception. This essay will endeavour to demonstrate the significance of these various contexts through an exploration of Julia Margaret Cameron's photographic works. Furthermore, consideration will be given to the ways in which a reader's understanding of Cameron's work might alter owing to changes in the context of reception and the manner in which the images are reproduced