Plate Number 127. Descending stairs

1887

Eadweard Muybridge

Associated Names
Eadweard Muybridge

Artist, American, born England, 1830 - 1904

The image shows a series of sequential photographs of a male subject walking. In the first row, the man is seen in profile, taking steps from left to right. His facial features, a beard and short hair, are partially visible. The man is unclothed, with one arm moving forward and the other back as he walks. In the second row, he walks towards the camera, with progressively blurry images showcasing his motion. The final row shows his back view as he moves away from the camera. The backdrop has a grid pattern, likely for studying movement. The background consists of horizontal and vertical lines. There are no visible accessories, jewelry, or objects with the man.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    collotype

  • Credit Line

    Corcoran Collection (Museum Purchase, 1887)

  • Dimensions

    image: 30.3 × 23 cm (11 15/16 × 9 1/16 in.)
    sheet: 47.65 × 60.3 cm (18 3/4 × 23 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2014.79.176

  • Series Title

    Animal Locomotion: An Electro-Photographic Investigation of Consecutive Phases of Animal Movements

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Eadweard Muybridge, Philadelphia, PA; purchased by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1887; acquired by NGA, 2014.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

printed, lower center underneath image in black ink: ANIMAL LOCOMOTION. PLATE. 127 / Copyright, 1887, by EADWEARD MUYBRIDGE. All rights reserved.; on verso, by Corcoran Gallery of Art, lower left in red pencil: 87.7.127

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