Capturing beauty, Julia Margaret Cameron's photo exhibition at the Jeu de Paume

Largely unknown today, Julia Margaret Cameron was nevertheless one of the most eminent photographers of her time. Between 1864 and 1875, she produced iconic photographs and portraits of the greatest celebrities of the 19th century. The Jeu de Paume has decided to bring this artist and her work back into the limelight, in a major retrospective, entitled Capturing Beauty, organized from October 10, 2023 to January 28, 2024.

The exhibition is produced by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Most of the photographs are drawn from the English museum's collections, but some are also on loan from the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the Musée d'Orsay and the Maison Victor Hugo. The exhibition showcases some one hundred images that retrace the British photographer's career.

Even today, she remains one of the most important English photographers of the 19th century. Julia Margaret Cameron didn't take up photography until the age of 48, when her daughters gave her a camera for her birthday. It wasn't long before the artist's talent and distinctive eye were revealed on film.

Her style is highly recognizable, and has been the subject of much discussion, both good and bad. Blurred, imperfect, dark or too bright, strangely framed... Julia Margaret Cameron's many criticisms are her strength: it's these imperfections, this originality, that set her apart.

Her works are fascinating: they can evoke a feeling of nostalgia, calm or embarrassment... A kind of mysticism or spirituality emanates from these shots, which often feature loved ones or public figures.

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Indeed, the Briton is best known for her portraits: of family, friends and celebrities such as Charles Darwin, Alfred Tennyson, Ellen Terry, John Herschel, George Frederic Watts, Robert Browning...

The first part of the exhibition focuses on the artist's first attempts, experiments and technical research. Family and celebrity portraits follow, before plunging into the artist's more creative universe. The third part features photographic illustrations, bringing biblical, mythological and literary stories to life.

Don't miss this wonderful retrospective at the Jeu de Paume.