Plate Number 710. Dog; galloping; white racing hound, Maggie 1887

Eadweard Muybridge created this photographic study of a galloping dog using a complex setup of multiple cameras and trip wires. It's a photogravure, meaning it was made by etching a copper plate and using it to print multiple images on paper. This wasn't just art for art's sake. Muybridge's work was driven by a very practical question: how exactly do horses, and other animals, move? His motion studies broke down actions into discrete segments. We see how the material qualities of photography – its capacity to freeze a moment – transforms our understanding of the world. The result has great social significance. Before Muybridge, artists traditionally depicted horses with unrealistic gaits. His photographs revolutionized both scientific study and artistic representation, impacting everything from painting to the development of cinema. It’s a reminder that even the most cutting-edge technology has a hand in shaping our perceptions and challenging established norms.