Étienne-Jules Marey (1830-1904), a French physiologist, is especially known for his experiments and discoveries on animal locomotion through the use of photography. The extraordinary results he achieved in representing closely sequenced movements earned him a place within the ambiguous and crowded category of “pre-cinema”, but this has partly obscured the distinctive nature of his scientific path. This paper aims to trace, within this rich trajectory, some key turning points, particularly those related to the expansion of the possibilities of experimental physiology, to the methods and spaces of experimentation and discovery, and especially to the open-air spaces of observation and photography of nature «in its own domain [dans son propre domaine]».
Sperimentazione fotografica e nuove osservazioni: gli spazi di "esperienza" di Etienne-Jules Marey
Riccio Monica
2025
Abstract
Étienne-Jules Marey (1830-1904), a French physiologist, is especially known for his experiments and discoveries on animal locomotion through the use of photography. The extraordinary results he achieved in representing closely sequenced movements earned him a place within the ambiguous and crowded category of “pre-cinema”, but this has partly obscured the distinctive nature of his scientific path. This paper aims to trace, within this rich trajectory, some key turning points, particularly those related to the expansion of the possibilities of experimental physiology, to the methods and spaces of experimentation and discovery, and especially to the open-air spaces of observation and photography of nature «in its own domain [dans son propre domaine]».I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
