images of Dario Robletto's portfolio, The First Time, the Heart (A Portrait of Life 1854–1913),

A heartbeat was first documented as an ascending and descending line known as a pulse wave in 1853. The First Time, The Heart includes 50 early pulse wave recordings selected by artist Dario Robleto for their poetic and emotional connections to everyday life. They include moments like listening to music, riding a bike, or eating chocolate. Robleto recreated the heartbeats in a reverse printing process, first marking the paper with soot from a flame, then lifting the soot to leave the white line of the pulse wave exposed.