Animal Locomotion. An Electro-Photographic Investigation of Consecutive Phases of Animal Movements. Commenced 1872 - Completed 1885. Volume XI, Wild Animals and Birds

Art Historical Context

Step into the pioneering world of motion capture with Eadweard Muybridge's *Animal Locomotion. An Electro-Photographic of Consecutive Phases of Movements* (commenced 1872, 1885), specifically Volume XI on wild animals and birds. This monumental book, produced in the 1880s, showcases Muybridge's groundbreaking photogravures—precise, photomechanical prints that faithfully reproduced his sequential photographs. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department (acquired via Rogers Fund from the Library), it captures the fluid grace of elephants lumbering and birds in flight, freezing their natural gaits into analyzable frames. Muybridge, a British-American photographer, revolutionized visual science in the late 19th century by using multiple cameras triggered in rapid succession, debunking myths about animal movement—like whether a trotting horse ever has all four hooves off the ground. His work bridged art and science, influencing early cinema, animation, and biomechanics. This volume extends his human studies to wildlife, offering rare insights into the kinetics of exotic creatures, blending artistic precision with empirical curiosity. These photogravures not only highlight Muybridge's technical ingenuity but also underscore photography's evolution from static portraiture to dynamic storytelling, inviting visitors to ponder the rhythm of life in motion. A true gem for those fascinated by the wild world's hidden choreography! (198 words)

About the Artist

Eadweard Muybridge · 1830–1904

Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904) was an English-American photographer who revolutionized the understanding of motion through his pioneering chronophotographic studies. Born Edward James Muggeridge in Kingston upon Thames, England, he emigrated to America and became famous first for his dramatic landscape photographs of Yosemite Valley, then for his groundbreaking motion studies that proved horses li...