Lights + Sounds of a Night Train 1924

Benedetta Cappa made this painting, ‘Lights + Sounds of a Night Train’, with energetic marks and a color palette that really hums. It’s like she’s not just painting a train, but also the feeling of hurtling through the night. The texture here is key; you can almost feel the speed through the way the paint has been applied. The reds are like sudden flashes, maybe the tail lights of the train or the signal lights along the track. Then you’ve got these sculptural copper forms – they're like the physical embodiment of sound, or maybe just the metallic clang of the train itself. The dark blue at the top isn't just the night sky; it's a mood, a kind of enveloping mystery. Cappa’s willingness to mix it up reminds me of some of the Russian Futurists; there’s that same sense of movement, of embracing the modern world in all its noisy, chaotic glory. This isn’t just a painting; it’s an experience.