Plate Number 342. Boxing, open hand 1887

Eadweard Muybridge created this photographic study, Plate Number 342. Boxing, open hand, as part of his groundbreaking series on human and animal locomotion. In this piece, Muybridge meticulously captures the sequential movements of two male boxers. We see not just the physicality of the sport, but the way motion itself can be broken down and understood. Set against the backdrop of late 19th-century scientific inquiry, the piece reflects a broader cultural fascination with categorizing and documenting the world. Yet, looking closer, we can consider how the bodies of these athletes—stripped bare and presented for observation—become sites of complex social meanings related to masculinity, physical labor, and control. Muybridge’s work invites us to consider the ways in which the camera, even in its scientific pursuits, is never truly neutral, always framing the subject in relation to broader societal norms and expectations. The emotional impact lies in recognizing the art historical legacy of the work, which is both beautiful and deeply unsettling.