Ritratto di Papini 1913

Carlo Carra made this portrait of Papini with ink on paper, and you can see how the work came into being, shifting, emerging through trial, error, and intuition. I sympathize with Carra here, and wonder, what was it like to create this portrait? What was he thinking? The lines are not smooth and the strokes are fast and furious. The ink is thin and it gives the work a very light, fresh feeling. It also looks kind of wild to me. A particular gesture is the scribbly hair, a mark that communicates feeling, intention, and meaning. This piece relates to Carra's wider practice, and the work of other futurists who use speed in their work. Artists are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. Painting is a form of embodied expression which embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.