A Lovely Sketch
Medium
Albumen silver print from glass negative
Dimensions
31.0 x 24.3 cm. (12 3/16 x 9 9/16 in.)
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of James David Nelson, in memory of Samuel J. Wagstaff Jr., 1988
Accession Number
1990.1074.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
Julia Margaret Cameron created "A Lovely Sketch" in 1873 as an albumen silver print from a glass negative, a medium prized in the Victorian era for its rich tonal depth and fine detail. Measuring just over 12 by 9 inches, the photograph exemplifies Cameron’s signature approach to portraiture, where she captured young sitters with a soft, atmospheric focus that emphasized emotional resonance over sharp realism. The title itself hints at the work’s intimate, sketch-like quality, suggesting a spontaneous study rather than a formal pose. Cameron, a pioneering British photographer active in the 18...
About the Artist
Julia Margaret Cameron · 1815–1879
Julia Margaret Cameron (1815–1879), born Julia Margaret Pattle in Calcutta, India, emerged as one of the 19th century's most innovative photographers despite beginning her career at age 48. The daughter of East India Company official James Pattle and French aristocrat Adeline de l'Etang, she was educated in France from 1818 to 1834 alongside her six surviving sisters, renowned for their beauty and...