The drawing Man Leading a Horse (recto); Study of a Man (verso) was created by Umberto Boccioni in 1910. This pivotal work, executed simply in graphite on paper, captures the artist's focus on figural density and the powerful relationship between men and animals just before his full embrace of Futurist dynamism. The recto subject focuses on a common early 20th-century theme: robust working men guiding their charges, emphasizing the musculature and physical exertion required.
The medium of graphite allowed Boccioni to define volume through expressive shading and strong contour lines, providing a solid foundation for the subsequent translation of movement into color and line that characterized the Futurist manifesto. Although produced in 1910, just prior to the radical shifts that defined the movement’s mature period, the drawing displays Boccioni’s sustained interest in the energy inherent in these mundane interactions involving Horses. The accompanying verso sketch, Study of a Man, illustrates the preparatory nature of the work, focusing on a single figure isolated from the dynamic action.
This piece, which features both Men and Horses, represents a crucial moment of transition in Boccioni’s career, moving away from late Divisionism toward concepts of simultaneous vision. Housed within the esteemed collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, this work offers scholars direct access to the artist's hand. As many early 20th-century drawings and related prints by Boccioni enter the public domain, this study provides essential documentation of his early experiments with volume and form.
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