Plate Number 195. Dancing a waltz 1887

Editor: Eadweard Muybridge's "Plate Number 195. Dancing a Waltz," a gelatin silver print from 1887, really captures a sense of… well, motion! It’s a sequence of images, almost like a flipbook, but it feels both scientific and…vaguely unsettling? As a historian, what do you make of this work? Curator: It’s fascinating how Muybridge intersects science, art, and Victorian social mores. Consider the cultural context: photography was relatively new, and Muybridge was pushing its boundaries. His work was funded by institutions aiming to understand the mechanics of the human body. But does it bother you that this ‘scientific’ endeavor relies on a nude female form? Editor: It does, a little. It feels like there’s an imbalance of power, the scientist observing and dissecting… How did audiences back then respond to these images? Curator: Victorian society had a complicated relationship with the nude. Publicly, there was a strong sense of propriety. Yet, scientific and artistic circles had a degree of leniency. Muybridge walked a tightrope, using the guise of science to present the nude, arguably objectifying women under the pretext of research. Do you think this would have held up if the subject had been a man? Editor: Probably not as well. It seems like there's a historical connection between observing female bodies and control, isn’t there? Almost a colonial attitude of dissecting something considered ‘other.’ I see how art really exists within all of this! Curator: Precisely! Muybridge’s work is invaluable, offering insights into capturing movement, yet it raises serious questions about representation, scientific ethics, and the institutional forces shaping art. Understanding that tension is key. Editor: Thanks. It's a lot to think about but also super helpful for thinking about power dynamics in images in general.