Three Horses Tended by Men; Stone Pavement (recto); Horses and Figures in a Landscape (verso)
1910
Medium
Ink on paper
Dimensions
4 1/2 x 6 1/8 in. (11.4 x 15.6 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
1990.38.16ab
Tags
Art Historical Context
Umberto Boccioni's *Three Horses Tended by Men; Pavement (recto Horses and Figures in a (verso)*, in 1910, the artist's early exploration of Futurist ideals just a year after the movement's incendiary manifesto. As a leading figure in Italian Futurism, Boccioni sought to convey the dynamism of modern life, rejecting static traditions in favor of motion, energy and multiplicity. This intimate ink drawing on paper—measuring a mere 4½ x 6⅛ inches—reflects his fascination with equine forms, often symbolizing raw power and speed in transition from pastoral to industrialized worlds. The recto featu...
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 ...