This publication originates from and develops the author’s doctoral thesis. The topic it addresses – the depiction of motion in static images – implicitly runs through the entire tradition of aesthetics and the psychology of art, yet it has never been subjected to a systematic and rigorous analysis. This work aims to fill that gap. Across its three chapters, the author examines the nature of various static images that are commonly regarded as effective in suggesting motion: are these truly pictorial representations – that is, depictions – of such a property? The analysis of these images – from photographs capturing people in the midst of dynamic actions to Futurist paintings, from long-exposure photography to optical illusions of movement – not only allows this question to be addressed but also provides insights into the possibilities and limits of depiction, as well as the theories that attempt to account for it.
Depicting Motion in Static Images
Marchetti, Luca
2025-01-01
Abstract
This publication originates from and develops the author’s doctoral thesis. The topic it addresses – the depiction of motion in static images – implicitly runs through the entire tradition of aesthetics and the psychology of art, yet it has never been subjected to a systematic and rigorous analysis. This work aims to fill that gap. Across its three chapters, the author examines the nature of various static images that are commonly regarded as effective in suggesting motion: are these truly pictorial representations – that is, depictions – of such a property? The analysis of these images – from photographs capturing people in the midst of dynamic actions to Futurist paintings, from long-exposure photography to optical illusions of movement – not only allows this question to be addressed but also provides insights into the possibilities and limits of depiction, as well as the theories that attempt to account for it.
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