Plate Number 252. Kneeling on right knee and scrubbing the floor 1887

This is Plate Number 252, "Kneeling on right knee and scrubbing the floor," made by Eadweard Muybridge using photographic methods. Muybridge's work was driven by an interest in scientific observation, specifically human locomotion. Here, we see a sequence of images capturing the action of scrubbing, breaking it down into discrete moments. The very act of photography, the use of light and chemicals to freeze time, has imbued this mundane task with significance. This wasn't fine art in the traditional sense, but a study. However, consider the labor embedded in this image. The act of scrubbing, traditionally a lower-class activity, is dissected and analyzed with scientific precision. Muybridge's work, while innovative, also reflects the social dynamics of his time, where labor was often invisibilized. This piece challenges us to think about the relationship between art, labor, and social class. It reminds us that even in capturing motion, we capture something about the human condition.