“The City Rises,” created by Umberto Boccioni in 1911 in Milan, Italy, is a genre painting executed in oil on canvas that embodies the dynamic and energetic qualities of the Futurist movement, to which it also incorporates elements of Divisionism. Measuring 200 x 290.5 cm, the artwork is presently held in a private collection. Its significant historical and artistic value positions it as a quintessential representation of its time, capturing the spirit of modernity and the technological advances of the early 20th century.
The artwork presents a scene brimming with movement and intensity. In the foreground, powerful horses are depicted in motion, their forms energetically merging with the human figures that seem to struggle to control them. The use of bright, contrasting colors and swirling brushstrokes intensifies the feeling of the turmoil and the rhythm of the scene, reflecting the industrial vigor and the tumultuous pace of urban development. The backdrop hints at the construction of a city, with skeletal frameworks of buildings rising into the sky, symbolizing the growth and transformation of the urban landscape during the era of rapid modernization. Through this composition, Boccioni conveys the vitality, change, and progressive spirit that are core to the philosophies of Futurism.
