Umberto Boccioni

Umberto Boccioni was the art world's equivalent of a man who shouts "Forward!" at a snail race. A leading figure of Italian Futurism, he was obsessed with speed, technology, and the glorious chaos of modern life. His paintings and sculptures, like the iconic *Unique Forms of Continuity in Space*, look like a superhero caught mid-stride while running for the last train. Rumor has it, and this is purely speculative, that despite his revolutionary zeal and desire to destroy museums, his favorite model was his mother. One can only imagine the dinner conversations: "Yes, Mama, I am overthrowing all artistic tradition... now, please hold that pose." Tragically, this champion of the machine age met his end not in a speeding car, but after falling from a horse during cavalry training in 1916. He was 33. A true Futurist, he was perhaps just a little too ahead of his time, even for his own ironically old-fashioned demise.