Plate Number 163. Jumping, standing broad jump 1887

Eadweard Muybridge created this series of photographs to capture the dynamics of human movement. What is most striking is how this modern scientific approach paradoxically evokes classical ideals. The athlete, captured in sequential frames, mirrors the depiction of figures on ancient Greek pottery. Consider the 'Kylix with Athletes' from the 6th century BC: here too, athletes are caught mid-action, their bodies idealized. In Muybridge's work, the subject's leap carries echoes of the triumphant postures of ancient heroes and gods. This act of athletic prowess has deep psychological roots, evoking a sense of striving, overcoming limitations, and expressing human potential. From antiquity to the modern age, the image of the leaping figure transcends mere physical action; it embodies the human spirit's timeless quest for transcendence. It appears in various forms through time, in art, sport and even dance; a symbol of our persistent yearning to defy gravity.