Horizontal Volumes 1912

Umberto Boccioni made this painting, Horizontal Volumes, with what looks like oil on canvas, though who really knows. The way he approached mark-making feels so intuitive, like he’s reaching for something beyond just representation. Look at the texture! It's like he’s building this figure out of pure energy, with these short strokes of color, not quite Fauvist, but heading in that direction. And the way he captures light, breaking it down into these angular facets. He must have been looking at Cezanne. Notice the hands, they look so worn and weathered, but they’re also full of life. It reminds me that painting isn’t just about what you see, but how you feel, how you interpret. Boccioni’s work always feels like a conversation between tradition and innovation. It reminds me of what Philip Guston said about art being about adjusting, adjusting, adjusting, until you get to the thing that feels right.