Plate Number 55. Walking and turning around, action of aversion 1887

Eadweard Muybridge made this photographic study, Plate Number 55. Walking and turning around, action of aversion, as part of his groundbreaking series on human and animal locomotion. In the late 19th century, Victorian society was obsessed with categorizing and understanding the world through scientific means. Muybridge's work exemplifies this impulse, freezing moments in time to dissect and analyze movement. However, these images were also deeply entrenched in the era's social hierarchies. Note how the female figure is presented, partially nude, subjected to the clinical gaze of the camera. Consider the power dynamics at play; the photographer, and the scientific establishment he represents, versus the anonymous woman whose body is used as a subject of study. This work invites us to reflect on the ways in which gender, science, and representation intersect, revealing the complex and often problematic underpinnings of knowledge production. The emotional tone is eerie, even unsettling, as the body is broken down into a series of seemingly unnatural poses. Ultimately, Muybridge's work, while revolutionary, serves as a reminder of the social and cultural lenses through which we view and interpret the human form.