Western Art Movements II Art Movements    

Lesson 18: Futurism - Simultaneous Visions (1912)

by Umberto Boccioni

Directions

Study the artwork for one week.

Over the week:

• Examine the artwork.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Recite the artist and artwork names.
• Read about the artwork's movement.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

The next example of futurist art is Umberto Boccioni's 1912 oil on canvas cityscape painting, 'Simultaneous Visions.' The artwork portrays a modern city brimming with motion and energy. A woman from two perspectives peers over the busy people below. Overlapping windowed skyscrapers encircle the constant movement in the treed streets below. The artwork demonstrates the movement/multiple view points over time characteristic of futurism.

Vocabulary

Futurism: An early 20th century avant-garde art movement focused on speed, the mechanical, and the modern, which took a deeply antagonistic attitude to traditional artistic conventions.
Simultaneous: Happening at the same moment.
Vision: Something seen or something imaginary one thinks one sees.

Concepts

Featured Movement:

1. Name - Futurism
2. Peak Prevalence - 1909-1914

Movement Characteristics:

1. Speed, movement, and energy
2. Science and technology
3. Mechanical objects (e.g. cars, planes)
4. Rejecting the past and looking forward - change and youth emphasized
5. See the speed, movement, and energy exemplified by Giacomo Balla's 'Speeding Automobile' (1912), an example of futurism

Common Coinciding Genres:

1. Cityscapes - 'The City Rises' (1910) by Umberto Boccioni

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Find the following in the artwork:

• Woman in Two Perspectives
• People
• Trees
• Tall Buildings
• Road

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

• After studying the artwork, narrate the scene shown aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: Map the Artwork

• At one time, Umberto Boccioni lived in Milan, Italy.
• Find Milan on the map of Italy.
• Recite aloud the other countries bordering Italy.

Activity 4: Classify the Artwork

• This artwork belongs to the futurism art movement.
• Find futurism on the timeline.
• During which approximate years did futurism flourish?
• Which art movement followed futurism?

Activity 5: Recreate/Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 21 of 'Fifth Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

What is futurism?

1 / 7

Answer 1

Futurism is an early 20th century avant-garde art movement focused on speed, the mechanical, and the modern, which took a deeply antagonistic attitude to traditional artistic conventions.

1 / 7

Question 2

Into which genre does the artwork fall?

2 / 7

Answer 2

The artwork falls into the cityscape genre.

2 / 7

Question 3

What happens in the artwork?

3 / 7

Answer 3

The artwork shows a woman looking down on a large, busy city street.

3 / 7

Question 4

To which western art movement does this painting belong?

4 / 7

Answer 4

This painting belongs to the futurism art movement.

4 / 7

Question 5

How does the artwork serve as an example of futurism?

5 / 7

Answer 5

The painting's depiction of movement and a city setting are characteristic of futurism.

5 / 7

Question 6

Which genres commonly coincide with futurism?

6 / 7

Answer 6

Cityscapes often coincide with futurism.

6 / 7

Question 7

During which century was this artwork created?

7 / 7

Answer 7

This artwork was created in the early 20th century (1912).

7 / 7

❮ ❯

1. What is futurism? Futurism is an early 20th century avant-garde art movement focused on speed, the mechanical, and the modern, which took a deeply antagonistic attitude to traditional artistic conventions.
2. Into which genre does the artwork fall? The artwork falls into the cityscape genre.
3. What happens in the artwork? The artwork shows a woman looking down on a large, busy city street.
4. To which western art movement does this painting belong? This painting belongs to the futurism art movement.
5. How does the artwork serve as an example of futurism? The painting's depiction of movement and a city setting are characteristic of futurism.
6. Which genres commonly coincide with futurism? Cityscapes often coincide with futurism.
7. During which century was this artwork created? This artwork was created in the early 20th century (1912).

References

'Futurism.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Umberto Boccioni.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.