Annie Liebovitz, portrait of Jessica Chastain, 2013

This lovely image is a portrait of the actress Jessica Chastain by Annie Liebovitz, made in the style of 19th century photographer Julia Margaret Cameron.

It’s as good a photograph as the Camerons that inspired it. And why not – Liebovitz has had forty years to absorb the lessons of Cameron; she had a hair, makeup and costume team, the best equipment, and a first class actress for a model. In the 1860s Cameron did it alone, using amateurs for models, and the most difficult technique in the history of the medium. All this just twenty years after photography was invented. Hats off to both of them.

This Cameron is one of eight photographs that Vogue magazine commissioned from Liebovitz, published in last year’s December issue and available here on Vogue’s website. Jessica Chastain poses in each of them. They’re all based on historical artworks, by Van Gogh, Magritte, Matisse, Anders Zorn, Felix Vallotton plus Cameron, Leighton and Klimt shown here.

Frederick Leighton, Flaming June, 1895 / Annie Liebovitz, Vogue cover 2013

Gustav Klimt, portrait of Ria Munk III, 1910 / Annie Liebovitz 2013

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