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The Kiss of Peace

Julia Margaret Cameron

Artwork Details

The Kiss of Peace
1869
Julia Margaret Cameron
albumen print on paper
9 1/8 in x 7 1/8 in (23.18 cm x 18.1 cm);19 5/16 in x 14 5/16 in (49.05 cm x 36.35 cm);18 1/16 in x 22 1/16 in (45.88 cm x 56.04 cm)
Museum Purchase
1975/1.63

Description

Subject Matter:

In this photograph, which Cameron considered to be her greatest work, two women are posed, one on the left kissing the forehead of a younger woman to the right, who looks down solemnly. They wear draped fabric, taking the subjects out of the Victorian era, but not referencing a specific time period. The woman on the left is Mary Hillier, Cameron's personal maid from 1861 to 1875. Like many of her works, this photograph is based on a work by Alfred Lord Tennyson: St. Agnes' Eve. Tennyson was Cameron's neighbor, and a recurring subject in her photographs. The title, The Kiss, refers to the early Christian tradition in which a kiss was both a greeting and part of liturgy. 

Physical Description:

A portrait of two women; the woman on the left kisses the forehead of the younger woman to the right, who looks down. They both wear draped fabric.

Usage Rights:

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