The photograph titled “Striking a blow with right hand” is a work by Eadweard Muybridge, created in the years 1884-85. It is part of an extensive series of photographs where Muybridge captured the motion of people and animals to study their movement.
The image displays a sequential series of 12 frames that collectively depict a man throwing a punch with his right hand. The background is uniformly patterned with vertical lines, likely for measuring purposes, which helps to accentuate the motion of the subject. Each frame captures a different phase of the punching action: starting from a neutral standing position, moving through the winding up of the body, the extension of the arm for the punch, and finally returning to a relaxed stance after the blow has been struck. The man is shown in minimal clothing which provides an unobstructed view of his musculature and body mechanics during the movement. This use of photography to capture motion was groundbreaking at the time and laid the foundation for modern motion-picture technology.