States of Mind: Those Who Go

States of Mind: Those Who Go by Umberto Boccioni, executed in 1912, is a pivotal drawing from the artist's seminal Futurist series. Created using brush and black ink over graphite on paper, this classification of work embodies the dynamism and psychological intensity central to Boccioni's exploration of modern urban life and travel. As one of three interconnected compositions exploring the emotions surrounding a train journey, this piece specifically captures the sensation of relentless motion, speed, and chaotic departure.

Boccioni employs rapid, fragmented lines and sharp directional vectors, transforming the underlying graphite structure into a maelstrom of kinetic movement. The drawing uses the stark contrast of dense black ink against the white paper to powerfully convey the Futurist concept of simultaneous perceptions. Abstracted forms, suggestive of figures, infrastructure, and locomotive parts, are broken down and merged with the surrounding atmosphere, effectively visualizing the emotional turbulence associated with rapid transition and mechanized speed.

This drawing is crucial for understanding the formal development of the larger States of Mind trilogy, as it captures the immediate, volatile energy of Boccioni’s early conceptions before they were translated into oil paint. This essential document of early 20th-century modernism is housed within the renowned collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of the lasting impact of Boccioni on modern art, works related to this era are frequently made available through public domain initiatives, allowing art enthusiasts worldwide to access high-quality prints and reproductions of the movement’s central ideas.