The artwork titled “Drawing After ‘States of Mind: The Farewells'” is a noteworthy piece by Umberto Boccioni, a pivotal figure in the Futurist movement. Employing ink on paper as his medium, Boccioni captures the essence of Futurism, a movement that celebrated speed, technology, and modernity, rejecting the past and embracing the dynamic character of 20th-century life. As a genre painting, this work reflects the social environment and situations of the time.
In examining the artwork, one notices that it is characterized by a vigorous and swirling composition, invoking a sense of movement and energy that is central to the principles of Futurism. The use of stark contrasting blacks and whites contribute to an inherent vibration in the scene. The fragmented forms and the integration of numbers and mechanical elements exemplify the Futurist fascination with the industrial and the technological influence on society. The figures appear almost entangled in the chaotic whirl of shapes and lines, suggesting movement and perhaps the emotional turmoil associated with departures.
The overlapping forms and intermingling of figures with their environment may also allude to the Futurist concept of ‘universal dynamism’, which proposed that objects’ physical boundaries aren’t static but in a constant state of flux, influenced by the forces acting upon them. The artwork captures not just a moment in time but seems to encompass several moments, creating a sense of the passage of time and the merging of physical and emotional states.
