Answer:
Her work was groundbreaking for several reasons, both in terms of the subject matter she chose to photograph and the style in which she captured her images.
On the one hand, Cameron broke traditional gender roles by pursuing a career in photography at a time when the field was dominated by men. She was also known for capturing portraits of women in unconventional poses and settings, which challenged the traditional norms of femininity at the time. By doing so, she helped to broaden the idea of what was considered acceptable or appropriate for women.
On the other hand, Cameron's work also sustained traditional gender roles by presenting women in idealized and romanticized ways. Her portraits often depicted women as passive and delicate, which reinforced conventional ideas of femininity. Additionally, her focus on spirituality and religious themes also reinforced traditional gender roles by suggesting that women were inherently more spiritual and pious than men.
Overall, Julia Margaret Cameron's work broke and sustained gender roles in different ways. While it challenged traditional norms and broadened the idea of what was acceptable for women, it also perpetuated conventional ideals of femininity and reinforced the idea of gender as a binary concept.