The image you are inquiring about is a composite photograph titled “Movement of the hand, drawing a circle,” created by Eadweard Muybridge in 1887. The image is part of Muybridge’s extensive work in motion studies, where he used multiple cameras to capture sequential frames of motion and depicted them in a grid format.
The photograph features a sequence of images that collectively show a hand drawing a circular motion. There are multiple panels arranged in rows and columns which show the progressive movement of the hand in detail. Each panel captures a different phase of the motion, from the hand’s initial position to the full extension as it traces a circular path. The motion study breaks down the fluid movement of the hand into individual frames, which allows the viewer to perceive each discrete portion of the action that the naked eye would otherwise perceive as a continuous and smooth movement. Muybridge’s work was pioneering in exploring and showcasing the details of motion, and this image is an example of his photographic investigations into human movement.