Plate Number 770. American eagle flying near the ground

Eadweard Muybridge

National Gallery of Art

This is a photograph showing the sequential flapping motion of a bird's wings in flight. The image displays a series of individual frames arranged in rows, each depicting the bird at a different phase of its wing motion. The detailed capture of motion illustrates the mechanics of the bird in flight. The bird is shown against a plain background, with each stage slightly shifted in position, suggesting movement. The frames provide an analytical look at the study of motion, similar to early motion studies of animals.