Animal Locomotion, Plate 535

In 1878 Eadweard Muybridge made headlines by successfully photographing a horse in motion. Through pioneering experiments with faster shutter speeds and a sequentially triggered line of cameras, Muybridge was able to freeze and record motion at speeds normally invisible to the human eye—discoveries that had lasting implications not only for scientific research but also for painting, photography, and film. Muybridge conducted a massive project of recording motion at the University of Pennsylvania from 1884 to 1886. Although his investigations were made in the name of science, his subjects included references to Neoclassical art (women with urns), sideshow curiosities (models with physical abnormalities), and all manner of animals. This plate, one of five devoted to hand movements, breaks down the gestures of someone keeping time for a musical performance.