The Mountain Nymph Mrs Keene', 1866

Photograph entitled 'The Mountain Nymph Mrs Keene' taken by Julia Margaret Cameron in June 1866. Albumen contact print from wet collodion negative. This photographic portrait of Mrs Keene forms part of the Herschel Album, created by Cameron for her friend Sir John Herschel (1792-1871). Mrs Keene, like Angelo Colarossi the model for Iago, appears to have been one of Cameron's rare professional models. She also sat for the Pre-Raphaelite painter Sir Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898). The title for this photograph comes from John Milton's (1608-1674) poem 'L'Allegro' (1632): 'Com, and trip it as ye go/ On the light fantastick toe,/ And in thy right hand lead with thee,/ The Mountain Nymph, sweet Liberty.'