New Graphic Novel Illuminates Life of Photography Pioneer Eadweard muybridge
SAN FRANCISCO—Eadweard Muybridge, the 19th-century adventurer and photographer, is once again capturing attention, this time through the pages of a new comic book that vividly portrays his extraordinary life. The graphic novel delves into Muybridge’s pivotal role in settling a major debate of his era: whether a galloping horse lifts all four hooves off the ground together.
For years, painters struggled to accurately depict horses in motion, frequently enough resorting to stylized leaps wiht limbs outstretched. Then, in the 1870s, Muybridge revolutionized the field by developing photography techniques with exposure times speedy enough to capture horses mid-gallop, proving they indeed became airborne.
“Lots of people didn’t accept it,” recounts Guy Delisle.”When they saw a photograph of the horse gathering it’s hooves, they said it looked like a dead spider. But when the photographs were projected in sequence, they said, ‘It’s true!’”
Muybridge’s pioneering work extended beyond equine studies. The comic book highlights his contributions to landscape photography, capturing vast American vistas that fueled the nation’s expansionist spirit. However, his life also took a dark turn when he murdered his wife’s lover, an event Delisle depicts in a sequence mirroring muybridge’s own motion studies.
Following the trial, and a subsequent acquittal, Muybridge focused on bringing photography into a whole new dimension by projecting pictures in sequence allowing the viewer to see its subjects in motion through the “zoopraxiscope”, which prefigured the film projector.
His motion studies continue to be a standard reference for animators.Delisle, who began his career in animation, first encountered Muybridge’s work through this lens.”But I never realized his photos were so old – from the very start of photography,” Delisle notes.
Muybridge’s patron was industrialist and equestrian Leland Stanford, whom Delisle calls “the Elon Musk of his day.” As the pair worked to refine photography, it seemed obsolescence loomed for painting.But it turned out that this new technology complemented, rather than supplanted, the old.
“Painters looked at photography as a new tool, like AI today,” says Delisle. “They no longer needed models and could have perfect light all the time.” The graphic novel illustrates this artistic evolution, incorporating early daguerreotypes, Muybridge’s landscape and Native American photographs, and realist paintings showcasing newfound detail.
delisle, now residing in Montpellier, France, spent years traveling extensively due to his wife’s work with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Now with two children, and with his graphic novel Jerusalem recognized at the prestigious Angoulême international comics festival in 2012, Delisle moved on from the travelogue form, finding both notoriety and stability.
Delisle’s earlier graphic novels, including Pyongyang and Shenzhen, gained significant traction by offering glimpses into often-unseen corners of the world.”I was in north Korea in may 2001, just before 9/11, when it became part of the axis of evil,” Delisle recalls. “everyone wanted to know all the details about it.And I’d had the prospect to walk around it all, with my hands in my pockets.”
The planned film adaptation of Pyongyang, slated to star Steve Carell and directed by Gore Verbinski, was abruptly canceled after north Korea hacked Sony’s servers in response to the release of Seth Rogen’s comedy The Interview.
Despite the setback, Delisle has continued to find success in the world of graphic novels. “Pyongyang was translated into 26 languages,” he says. “So I said, ‘Well, comic books seem to be working out for me.’”
Delisle emphasizes his own naivety and outsider perspective in his work, contrasting it with the more overtly political and journalistic approach of figures like Joe Sacco. Delisle’s rigorous approach involves thoroughly understanding a subject before attempting to explain it in his accessible, panel-by-panel style.
The rise of AI looms over the comic book industry, an issue Delisle acknowledges. “For the book, sometiems I needed a picture of a galloping horse viewed from a particular angle. If AI can do that instantly, it could be useful,” he concedes. Though, by telling Muybridge’s story through conventional hand-drawn art, Delisle underscores the enduring value and artistry of the medium.Some argue that AI-generated art will inevitably replace the human element in creative industries. Though, the renewed interest in Muybridge’s work, as interpreted through traditional graphic novel techniques, suggests that the human touch remains essential—that the artistic act of creation holds its own intrinsic value, irrespective of technological advancements. The graphic form allows for unique emotive expression that AI cannot replicate.
Counterargument: While AI tools may offer efficiencies in image creation, its soulless output cannot replace human insight and artistic expression.Audiences seek the unique voice and perspective of the artist, something AI cannot replicate.
FAQ
Q: Who was Eadweard Muybridge?
A: Eadweard Muybridge was a 19th-century photographer known for his pioneering work in motion studies, particularly his photographs of galloping horses.
Q: What was Muybridge trying to prove with his horse photography?
A: Muybridge aimed to prove that all four hooves of a galloping horse leave the ground simultaneously at some point during its stride.
Q: How did Muybridge capture his famous motion studies?
A: Muybridge developed a system of multiple cameras with trip wires that would trigger the shutters as the horse ran past, capturing sequential images of its movement.
Q: What is a zoopraxiscope?
A: The zoopraxiscope was an early motion-picture device invented by Muybridge that projected images in rapid succession, creating the illusion of movement and prefiguring modern film.
Q: How is Leland Stanford connected to this story?
A: Leland Stanford, a wealthy industrialist and horse breeder, was a patron of Eadweard Muybridge and commissioned the motion studies of horses to better understand their gait.
