Plate Number 734. Two elephants walking

Art Historical Context

Step into the pioneering world of motion photography with *Plate Number 734. Two Elephants Walking* by Eadweard Muybridge, created in 1887. This collotype print captures a sequence of majestic elephants in mid-stride, part of Muybridge's monumental *Animalotion* series—over780 plates documenting the movement of humans and animals through multiple exposures on a single frame. Muybridge, a British-American photographer, transformed visual art and science by using synchronized cameras and tripwires to "freeze" motion, debunking myths about how animals truly walked. The artwork's historical significance lies in its role as a bridge between photography and cinema. Muybridge's sequential images influenced early filmmakers like the Lumière brothers and scientists studying biomechanics. Printed via collotype—a precise photomechanical process that allowed faithful reproduction of fine details—this 15.88 × 46.36 cm image (on a larger 47.63 × 60.33 cm sheet) showcases the elephants' powerful, synchronized gait with remarkable clarity. Acquired by the Corcoran Gallery in 1887 and now in the National Gallery of Art's Corcoran Collection, this piece invites visitors to ponder the dawn of motion studies, blending artistry with empirical curiosity.

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...