Eakins' use of photographs as a teaching aid was not unique, but his use of multiple serial
poses for that purpose was innovative. Eadweard Muybridge was doing similar series as
part of his motion studies in the same city, Philadelphia, at about the same time.
I have long wondered if the two knew and inspired one another.
One of those "frozen in time" images. A shaft of sunlight? At some point I must get some of me like this...
ReplyDeleteI do hope Eakins and Muybridge knew each other. They must have been aware of their similar work.
They did know each other, and it was Eakins' correspondence with Muybridge that led to the latter coming to Philadelphia to continue his work which he began in California. They weren't close friends, though, and their interests diverged as Muybridge was more interested in the technical than the artistic.
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