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Dynamism of a Speeding Horse + Houses

Dynamism of a Speeding Horse + Houses is the last sculptural work by Umberto Boccioni, created between 1914 and 1915. It is preserved in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection at Palazzo Venier dei Leoni in the historic center of Venice. The sculpture reflects Boccioni’s idea that visual perception creates the illusion of merging forms, so the running horse and the houses in the background are seen as part of one dynamic unit. It also follows the principles of the Futurist Sculpture Technical Manifesto by rejecting the use of a single material. The work is made from wood, cardboard, copper, and iron, with surfaces painted in gouache and oil.

Dynamism of a Speeding Horse + Houses sculpture with angular brown, red, black, and white planes on a dark stand.
Dynamism of a Speeding Horse + Houses, shown as an abstract sculpture with layered angular forms in brown, red, black, and white.
March 2017 © · CC BY 3.0
Dynamism of a Speeding Horse + Houses sculpture with layered brown, red, and black geometric forms on a black base.
Dynamism of a Speeding Horse + Houses, shown as a layered abstract sculpture on a black base.
© David Heald · Public domain
Abstract sculpture by Umberto Boccioni mounted on a pedestal, shown in black and white with a strong shadow on the wall.
Umberto Boccioni’s Dynamism of a Speeding Horse + Houses shown in a black-and-white photograph on a pedestal.
© · Public domain
Dynamism of a Speeding Horse + Houses assemblage with fan-shaped metallic elements, cardboard planes, and angular rods.
Dynamism of a Speeding Horse + Houses shown as a fragmented Futurist assemblage with metallic and cardboard elements.
© · Public domain
Close-up of Dynamism of a Speeding Horse + Houses showing a pointed protrusion with red and black curved shapes on a brown surface.
Detail of Umberto Boccioni’s Dynamism of a Speeding Horse + Houses, showing a pointed section with red and black forms.
March 2017 © · CC BY 3.0

Identification

TitleDynamism of a Speeding Horse + Houses
Original Italian titleDinamismo di un cavallo in corsa + case
TypeSculpture

Historical context

Art movementFuturism
Date created1914–1915
Created after manifestoYes; it follows Boccioni's Futurist Technical Manifesto of Sculpture

Creator

ArtistUmberto Boccioni
Artist's death year1926
Last sculptural workYes

Discovery and provenance

Notable statusOne of the few surviving sculptures by Boccioni

Physical characteristics

Subject matterA galloping horse with houses in the background

Materials

MaterialsWood, cardboard, copper, and iron
Surface treatmentPainted with gouache and oil
Technical principleUse of several different materials
Technical principleRejection of closed forms
Technical principleInterpenetration of subject and background

Appearance

Perceptual effectThe horse and houses are perceived as a single dynamic unit because the viewer cannot know their actual distance

Iconography and meaning

Concept representedBoccioni's concept of space
Artist's interpretationVisual perception creates the illusion of fused forms

Location and ownership

Current locationPeggy Guggenheim Collection, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, Venice