Rebecca Solnit on Eadweard Muybridge's overlooked work
A new essay by Rebecca Solnit reexamines Eadweard Muybridge's career, arguing that his famous 1870s horse-in-motion photographs have overshadowed his broader body of work. Solnit highlights Muybridge's earlier landscapes and later studies of human and animal locomotion, which she considers equally innovative. The piece, published on doppiozero, challenges the narrow focus on the 1872 and 1877 equine sequences that disproved centuries of artistic convention. Solnit's analysis positions Muybridge as a complex figure whose contributions extend beyond the single iconic series.
Key facts
- Rebecca Solnit wrote an essay on Eadweard Muybridge
- Muybridge's 1872 and 1877 horse photographs are his most famous
- Those photos disproved the traditional depiction of horses with all four hooves off the ground
- Solnit argues that Muybridge's other works are overlooked
- Muybridge also produced landscapes and locomotion studies
- The essay is published on doppiozero
- The article was posted on May 13, 2026
- Authors are Gigliola Foschi and Anita Romanello
Entities
Artists
- Eadweard Muybridge
- Rebecca Solnit
- Gigliola Foschi
- Anita Romanello
Institutions
- doppiozero