“Sad Young Man in a Train,” crafted by Marcel Duchamp in 1911 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, is a remarkable piece of art embodying Cubism and Futurism. This figurative artwork, made with oil on cardboard, measures 100 by 73 centimeters and is a distinguished part of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy.
The artwork depicts an abstract and fragmented representation of a young man, characterized by intersecting planes and dynamic angles, typical of the Cubist and Futurist movements. The color palette primarily involves subdued shades of brown and ochre, lending a poignant and introspective mood to the scene. The suggestion of motion and disjointed forms reflects the influence of early 20th-century explorations in capturing the essence of movement and emotion, evoking the melancholic ambiance of a solitary train journey.