Plate Number 378. Blacksmith, hammering on anvil with two hands

Eadweard Muybridge

National Gallery of Art

The image is a series of sequential photographs showing a nude male figure chopping wood. The man is displayed fully in each frame, engaged in raising and swinging an axe. His body is shown at different angles, facing the viewer or in profile, illustrating the complete chopping motion. The man's hair is short and neatly combed. The setting is minimal, with the man standing on a wooden floor near a tree stump serving as a chopping block, with a gridded wall and curtains in the background. The man is not wearing any jewelry and is actively holding an axe in various positions throughout the sequence. The background is simple, focusing solely on the movement sequence.