Plate Number 373. Acrobat, "press up" from chair 1887

Eadweard Muybridge's "Plate Number 373. Acrobat, 'press up' from chair" is a photographic study from his 1887 series "Animal Locomotion". This groundbreaking work revolutionized the understanding of movement by capturing the sequential phases of an acrobat's handstand. The 12 individual images show the acrobat transitioning from a seated position to a handstand, breaking down the fluid motion into discrete moments. This pioneering photographic technique, known as chronophotography, became a cornerstone of early cinema, inspiring the development of motion pictures.