The Morning 1909

Umberto Boccioni painted “The Morning” in thick dabs of vibrant colour, like he’s building this scene up from pure energy. It’s a process that feels, to me, like trying to capture not just what a place looks like, but how it feels to be there, watching the world come to life. Look at the way he uses these tiny, individual strokes. The surface is alive with texture, almost like you could reach out and feel the grit of the road or the smokiness of the air. Those strokes work together to create this shimmering, almost overwhelming sense of light and movement. It’s like he’s trying to trap the moment itself, with all its messy, chaotic energy. I’m thinking of Seurat and the pointillists, but Boccioni is adding an extra shot of adrenaline. "The Morning" is a great example of the Futurist style. It's less about pretty landscapes, and more about how we experience change. I feel like that conversation continues to this day, because what is painting if not a way of capturing change?