#07712 Umberto Boccioni (1882-1916)

The drawing presents a portrait study executed in graphite on paper. Here we observe a male figure depicted from the chest upwards, focusing primarily on the head and facial features. The artist employed a stark, almost skeletal rendering style, characterized by sharp angles and elongated forms.
The face is dominated by an exaggeratedly large nose that occupies a significant portion of the composition’s central axis. This feature, rendered with heavy, parallel lines, draws immediate attention and contributes to a sense of unease or distortion. The eyes are asymmetrical; one appears slightly larger and more prominent than the other, further disrupting conventional notions of symmetry and balance. The mouth is reduced to a minimal suggestion of lips, contributing to an overall impression of austerity and restraint.
The hair is indicated by short, vertical strokes that suggest a receding hairline and a somewhat unkempt appearance. The ear is rendered with simplified lines, positioned slightly askew from the face’s central plane. A distinct line bisects the left side of the face, creating an unsettling visual division and potentially suggesting trauma or disfigurement.
The artists use of graphite allows for a range of tonal values, though these are employed primarily to define form rather than create depth or shadow. The lines themselves appear hurried and expressive, conveying a sense of immediacy and perhaps even anxiety in the execution.
Subtly, the drawing seems to explore themes of identity and vulnerability. The exaggerated features and distorted proportions challenge conventional ideals of beauty and representation. The asymmetrical elements suggest an internal struggle or psychological complexity within the subject. There is a palpable tension between the attempt at portraiture and the artist’s deliberate subversion of realistic depiction. The overall effect is one of introspection, bordering on melancholy, conveyed through a stark and unsettling visual language.