This pioneer in a field of technology developed in the 19th century was asked to help settle a debate, of no little interest to some artists, involving a certain sport. He was also charged with committing a serious crime, which became the subject of a work by a major contemporary composer. Who was he, what did he demonstrate, and who is the composer?

zebra101

I don't know! Sorry! Feb 21 07, 7:12 PM

littlecleo

the pioneer was Eadweard Muybridge, inventor of the moving picture, was hired by soon-to-be Governor of California Leland Stanford who was a business man & race-horse owner to settle the controversy on a popularly-debated question of the day: whether during a horse's gallop, all four hooves were ever off the ground at the same time AND U2's song 'Lemon' is about him http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eadweard_Muybridge Feb 21 07, 9:45 PM

lanfranco

Well, cleo, I'll award you three-quarters of the silver mace, because U2 wasn't quite what I had in mind. The work in question specifically concerns the crime. However, the debate concerning a horse's gallop had an effect on artists who were interested in race track scenes, such as Edgar Degas, who had been painting race-course scenes since the 1860's and was also attracted to photography. It's interesting to note that for many years, artists had depicted horses with all four legs off the ground but also outstretched, as in the painting on the site below, by Henry Alken (d. 1851): http://www.sportsgallery.co.uk/henry_alken.htm Feb 21 07, 9:58 PM

littlecleo

was the work The Photographer, a 1982 opera by Philip Glass? good fun questions to research & answer by the way Feb 21 07, 10:48 PM

lanfranco

Thank you! Yes, I was looking for the Glass work, so I'll hand over the entire mace now. Feb 22 07, 7:52 AM