States of Mind: The Farewells (recto); Study for Female Figure (Ines) (verso)

Art Historical Context

This compelling double-sided drawing by Umberto Boccioni, created in 1911, offers a fascinating glimpse into the artist’s exploration of human emotion and movement. The recto side, titled *States of Mind: The Farewells*, captures figures in a moment of parting, while the verso presents a study for a female figure named Ines. Both sides highlight Boccioni’s focus on human forms, rendered with expressive graphite lines that convey energy and feeling. Executed in graphite on paper, the work measures just under 20 by 25 inches, allowing for intimate yet dynamic studies. As a preparatory drawing now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Modern and Contemporary Art department, it reveals the artist’s process of experimenting with gesture and composition. Such works on paper were essential tools for early 20th-century artists seeking to distill fleeting psychological states into visual form. Visitors can appreciate how Boccioni used simple materials to suggest motion and emotion, inviting us to consider the inner lives of the figures depicted. This piece stands as a thoughtful record of artistic inquiry from a pivotal year in modern art.

About the Artist

Umberto Boccioni · 1882–1916

Umberto Boccioni (1882–1916) was an Italian painter and sculptor who became the leading artist and principal theorist of the Futurist movement. Born in Reggio Calabria, he studied in Rome under the Divisionist painter Giacomo Balla and was deeply influenced by Post-Impressionism before encountering the ideas of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, whose 1909 Futurist Manifesto catalyzed Boccioni's artistic ...