The Kiss of Peace, a photo taken by Julia Margaret Cameron in 1869, has stood the test of time and human emotion did not change from generation to generation.  The photo represents not only peace but also unconditional love between a mother and child, which has not faded through the centuries. 
Self-Portrait

According to Robert Leggat, this particular portrait is of her sister, Maria (Mia) Jackson and is one of Mrs. Cameron’s most famous portraits.  The portrait of a mother and daughter is based on the biblical story of the Visitation; the daughter is looking down as the mother kisses her brow and looks on.   A mother kissing a child’s brow is both universal and eternal; a true masterpiece.

When I see The Kiss of Peace portrait, I feel raw human emotions, hope for a better future, and the greatest peace of all, the unbreakable bond of love.  The portrait is somber yet portrays eternal beauty and reminds me of how safe and loved I felt in my mother’s arms.  The Kiss of Peace stirs my emotions; it makes me hope we could hold on to that kind of love for all humankind, to make our world a better place.  The portrait brings forth a yearning for peace, reminding me that peace begins at home.  

When I look closely into the mother’s eyes, I see that she is afraid and concerned for their future but wants to protect her child from harm and assure her she will be protected.  As most mothers, she is willing to die for her child and Mrs. Cameron captures the protective quality exquisitely.

Mrs. Cameron’s photos convey spirituality, romanticism, and core human emotions; her style is timeless.  She managed to capture what many people were feeling at the time and we, in the current time, feel the emotions as well.  Most of her photos focus on women and allegorical lessons and are centered on the important women in her life.  She focused on the natural beauty of the women she photographed, showing their hair down, which was not often seen outside of the home.   

Mrs. Cameron used large glass plate negatives, often used for landscapes for her portraits.  Using this type of negatives, her subjects had to be still for several moments, which of course, was difficult.  This technique left the photos out of focus, giving the portraits a soft and dreamy feeling.

The subjects of Mrs. Cameron’s photos were her passion since she did not care for action photography.  Most of her well-known portraits were famous men, although as society has changed, the portraits of the women have increased in popularity.

It is often said that one person or event can change another’s life; in viewing The Kiss of Peace as well as other photos of Mrs. Cameron's, my life has vastly improved.