Biography of Umberto Boccioni

Umberto Boccioni was born in Reggio Calabria on 19 October 1882 to parents who originated from the Romagna region of Italy.
His family moved to Padua in 1888 and then on to Catania in 1897, where he obtained his school-leaving Diploma at a Technical Institute. It was in this Sicilian city that young Umberto began his collaboration with a number of local newspapers. In 1901 he moved to Rome where he stayed with an aunt and began to frequent the studio of a poster designer. During this period he met Severini, together with whom he became a pupil of Giacomo Balla, although before long they both distanced themselves from him. In April 1906 he stayed in Paris for the first time and a few months later undertook a journey to Russia. On returning to Italy he settled in Padua and enrolled at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice. He set off on another journey to Russia but only got as far as Munich in Germany. On returning from this trip, he began to paint and conduct his first experiments in the field of engraving. Italian artistic life of the times was still firmly entrenched in the old provincial traditions. For this reason he chose to move to Milan, the only dynamic and forward-looking city, where he met Romolo Romani and associated with Previati, from whom he gained a certain symbolistic influence.
Following publication of the first futurist manifesto by Marinetti in "Le Figaro", Boccioni approached the avant-garde movement and in 1910, together with Carrà and Russolo, wrote the "Manifesto of futurist painters" and the "Technical manifesto of futurist painting", also signed by Severini and Balla. Boccioni became the leading and most representative exponent of the movement, developing an individual and very distinctive language. In the meantime he participated actively in all the various initiatives, from the "Futurist evenings" held in the theatres of Italian provinces to the exhibitions which he himself organised in various European capitals, including Paris,  London, Berlin and Brussels. He wrote the "Manifesto of futurist sculpture", the main pages of his poetry, sculpted and painted his dynamic work series. From 1913 onwards he contributed to the magazine "Lacerba", organised by the Florentine group headed by Soffici.
Disappointed by the relative lack of interest in his art by the Italian public and the hostile attitude of certain futurist groups, such as that of Florence, he took refuge in his mother, an essential and much loved figure.
When the First World War broke out, a number of intellectuals lent their support to interventionism. Boccioni, like many other painters, enrolled in the bicycle corps and set off for the front. In the meantime his art was influenced by the new European avant-garde movements. He contributed to the magazine "Avvenimenti" and became reconciled with his old mentor Balla.
In 1916 he continued to paint. The following year he again enrolled in the army and died on 17 August 1917 after falling from his horse on the outskirts of Verona.

Biography of Umberto Boccioni

Umberto Boccioni was born in Reggio Calabria on 19 October 1882 to parents who originated from the Romagna region of Italy.
His family moved to Padua in 1888 and then on to Catania in 1897, where he obtained his school-leaving Diploma at a Technical Institute. It was in this Sicilian city that young Umberto began his collaboration with a number of local newspapers. In 1901 he moved to Rome where he stayed with an aunt and began to frequent the studio of a poster designer. During this period he met Severini, together with whom he became a pupil of Giacomo Balla, although before long they both distanced themselves from him. In April 1906 he stayed in Paris for the first time and a few months later undertook a journey to Russia. On returning to Italy he settled in Padua and enrolled at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice. He set off on another journey to Russia but only got as far as Munich in Germany. On returning from this trip, he began to paint and conduct his first experiments in the field of engraving. Italian artistic life of the times was still firmly entrenched in the old provincial traditions. For this reason he chose to move to Milan, the only dynamic and forward-looking city, where he met Romolo Romani and associated with Previati, from whom he gained a certain symbolistic influence.
Following publication of the first futurist manifesto by Marinetti in "Le Figaro", Boccioni approached the avant-garde movement and in 1910, together with Carrà and Russolo, wrote the "Manifesto of futurist painters" and the "Technical manifesto of futurist painting", also signed by Severini and Balla. Boccioni became the leading and most representative exponent of the movement, developing an individual and very distinctive language. In the meantime he participated actively in all the various initiatives, from the "Futurist evenings" held in the theatres of Italian provinces to the exhibitions which he himself organised in various European capitals, including Paris,  London, Berlin and Brussels. He wrote the "Manifesto of futurist sculpture", the main pages of his poetry, sculpted and painted his dynamic work series. From 1913 onwards he contributed to the magazine "Lacerba", organised by the Florentine group headed by Soffici.
Disappointed by the relative lack of interest in his art by the Italian public and the hostile attitude of certain futurist groups, such as that of Florence, he took refuge in his mother, an essential and much loved figure.
When the First World War broke out, a number of intellectuals lent their support to interventionism. Boccioni, like many other painters, enrolled in the bicycle corps and set off for the front. In the meantime his art was influenced by the new European avant-garde movements. He contributed to the magazine "Avvenimenti" and became reconciled with his old mentor Balla.
In 1916 he continued to paint. The following year he again enrolled in the army and died on 17 August 1917 after falling from his horse on the outskirts of Verona.