The Parting of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere
Photograph
1874 (photographed)
1874 (photographed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In 1874 Alfred Tennyson, the Poet Laureate, invited Cameron to make photographic illustrations to Idylls of the King, his series of narrative poems based on the legends of King Arthur. After her large photographs were published as small, wood-cut copies, Cameron decided to produce an edition illustrated by original photographic prints accompanied by hand-written extracts from the poems printed in facsimile. She claimed to have made as many as 245 exposures to arrive at the 25 she finally published in two volumes in 1874 and 1875.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
|
| Materials and techniques | Albumen print from wet collodion glass negative |
| Brief description | Photograph by Julia Margaret Cameron, 'The Parting of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere' (sitters Mr. Read, Mrs. Hardinge), albumen print, 1874 |
| Physical description | A photograph of a seated bearded man (Mr. Read as Sir Lancelot) in profile clasping the hand and leaning his chin upon the head of a seated woman (Mrs. Hardinge as Queen Guinevere). |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Gallery label | Label for 'Making It Up: Photographic Fictions' (3 May 2013 - 12 January 2014):
Julia Margaret Cameron (1815–79)
The Parting of Sir Lanceleot and Queen Guinevere
From Idylls of the King
1874
Alfred Tennyson, the poet laureate, asked Cameron to illustrate his Idylls of the King, a collection of poems based on the medieval legends of King Arthur. Dissatisfied with the small woodcut copies that were published, she decided to produce an edition with original photographic prints..
Albumen print
Museum no. 89-1970 |
| Credit line | Given by Miss Agnes May Ffytche, 1927 |
| Object history | Originally part of a bound folio volume containing 11 photographs by Cameron and 11 pages of verse text by Tennyson and 3 other text pages (two photographs are missing, the frontispiece image of Tennyson and the last image, 'The Passing of Arthur'). Volume 1 of two albums of illustrations to Tennyson's 'Idylls of the King and other Poems' published by Henry S. King & Co., 1874-75). Each photograph is mounted on bluish mounts with gilt borders. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Association | |
| Literary reference | 'Illustrations to Tennyson's Idylls of the King, and other poems', vol. 1, by Julia Margaret Cameron. London: Henry S. King & Co., 1875. |
| Summary | In 1874 Alfred Tennyson, the Poet Laureate, invited Cameron to make photographic illustrations to Idylls of the King, his series of narrative poems based on the legends of King Arthur. After her large photographs were published as small, wood-cut copies, Cameron decided to produce an edition illustrated by original photographic prints accompanied by hand-written extracts from the poems printed in facsimile. She claimed to have made as many as 245 exposures to arrive at the 25 she finally published in two volumes in 1874 and 1875. |
| Associated object | 89:1-1970 (text) |
| Bibliographic references |
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 89-1970 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | January 9, 2009 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
