Plate Number 661. Mule; A, B, a refractory animal, Ruth 1887

Editor: Here we have Eadweard Muybridge's "Plate Number 661. Mule; A, B, a refractory animal, Ruth" from 1887, a gelatin silver print showing a mule in motion. I’m struck by how the grid of images breaks down the movement, almost like a comic strip, but one studying something very particular. What can you tell me about the symbolism here? Curator: Indeed. Muybridge's work resonates deeply because it visually dissects movement, something that has captivated artists and philosophers for centuries. What do you think a refractory animal *means* in that context? Editor: Hmm, refractory... like it’s resisting something. Maybe Muybridge is hinting at the struggle to capture reality, how fleeting and difficult to pin down movement really is. Curator: Precisely! Consider the mule, historically a beast of burden, stubborn and resistant. Muybridge isn't merely documenting its motion; he’s imbuing it with a deeper meaning, a visual metaphor for the elusiveness of truth. Each frame is a fragmented attempt to grasp the whole, acknowledging the limitations inherent in representation. Editor: So, "Ruth," as the mule is named, becomes almost a symbolic figure herself, embodying resistance to being fully known or understood. Do you think the repetition of the image contributes to this? Curator: Absolutely. The sequential frames echo the persistent, almost obsessive, human drive to comprehend the world. There’s a hint of the Sisyphean in the relentless pursuit to capture a single action, further underscoring the complex relationship between observer and observed. The photographic series is a window onto this. Editor: That’s fascinating! I had considered this series to be a scientific study more than a symbolic inquiry, so seeing these photographic techniques as more expressive shifts my understanding of the artwork altogether. Curator: I’m glad to hear. Consider how the human quest to comprehend often weaves scientific methods with artistic insights.