States of Mind: The Farewells (recto); Study for Female Figure (Ines) (verso)
1911
Medium
Graphite on paper
Dimensions
19 5/16 × 24 3/16 in. (49.1 × 61.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Modern and Contemporary Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Lydia Winston Malbin, 1989
Accession Number
1990.38.22a,b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This compelling double-sided drawing by Umberto Boccioni, created in 1911, offers a fascinating glimpse into the artist’s exploration of human emotion and movement. The recto side, titled *States of Mind: The Farewells*, captures figures in a moment of parting, while the verso presents a study for a female figure named Ines. Both sides highlight Boccioni’s focus on human forms, rendered with expressive graphite lines that convey energy and feeling. Executed in graphite on paper, the work measures just under 20 by 25 inches, allowing for intimate yet dynamic studies. As a preparatory drawing n...
About the Artist
Umberto Boccioni · 1882–1916
Umberto Boccioni (1882–1916) was an Italian painter and sculptor who became the leading artist and principal theorist of the Futurist movement. Born in Reggio Calabria, he studied in Rome under the Divisionist painter Giacomo Balla and was deeply influenced by Post-Impressionism before encountering the ideas of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, whose 1909 Futurist Manifesto catalyzed Boccioni's artistic ...