SPEEDING MUSCLES
Sculpted in 1913, final exhibition in 1924, Galleria Bottega di Poesia, Milan, destroyed in 1927 in Acquabella, Milan.
Modified after Paris
Speeding Muscles is a rarity in historical documentation, appearing in only three known photographs. Two were taken at the 1913 exhibition in Paris — the second replicates the first, but in smaller scale — and a third at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco (1, 2). Fortunately, these few images complement each other so well that the reconstruction of the sculpture involves remarkably little guesswork (3). The high resolution of the available photographs further supports detailed analysis.
The only notable difference between the Paris and San Francisco photographs is a small protrusion on the upper back of the head. In the 1915 San Francisco image, this feature appears to have been altered. The final reconstruction is based on this later version.
The surface of the plaster sculpture is significantly rougher than that of Boccioni’s other striding figures, suggesting that the work progressed rapidly from concept to form. As with Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, parts of the feet were likely detachable to ease transport. However, these seams are not reproduced in the reconstructed version.
UPDATE
A revised full-scale version of Speeding Muscles has been 3D printed and assembled (4).
[Published February 2023]
1.
2.
3.
4.