Julia Jackson

One of the greatest portrait photographers of the Victorian period, Julia Margaret Cameron produced haunting images that transcended physical description, mirroring the inner lives of her subjects. This photograph depicts Julia Jackson, Cameron’s beloved niece, namesake, and goddaughter. At a time when most women had only two or three photographs taken of them during their lifetime, Cameron created over 50 portraits of Jackson, a renowned beauty at the time who modeled for other artists. This boldly modern close-up of 21-year-old Jackson—taken just weeks before her marriage—suggests self-reflection and doubt.