This statue Futuristic Man by Umberto Boccioni embraces the Italian
Futurists' interest in dynamism. It is an icon of early modern art. In
1912, Boccioni wrote his 'Manifesto technico della scultura
futuristica'. He advocated experimenting with the simultaneous use of
different materials in dynamic forms, with a focus on the "abstract
reconstruction and not the figurative, form-determining meaning of
planes and volumes". The bronze figure with the telling title 'Unique
forms of continuity in space' (Forme uniche della continuita nello
spazio (1913)) reflects his approach to life, as a futurist, which was
lively, dynamic and future-oriented.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Boccioni was born in Reggio di Calabria but left for Rome when he was
18. There the painter Giacomo Balla taught him the neo-impressionist
technique of divisionism: the dynamic use of elementary colours. In
1910, he met the spiritual father of futurism, the writer Marinetti. He
felt drawn to this young, revolutionary movement that advocated a
positive belief in permanent innovation. The world was coming to terms
with the unique possibilites offered by the discovery of electricity
and the invention of photographic material. Artistic had to participate
in this process and not try to create aesthetic and timeless art in
isolation. He had "to express and glorify modern life, which was
continuously and eunexpectedly being transformed by the triumphs of
science". Boccioni soon developed into a theoretician and leading
figure of the futurism movement and wrote numerous manifestos. In 1915,
when Italy became embroiled in the First World War, the patriotic
futurists, including Boccioni, joined the army as volunteers. They
regarded the Italian involvement first and foremost as the last step
towards national unification. Military life did not match the
expectations of the highly motivated Boccioni at all. He wrote to a
friend, "I will leave this kind of life with the greatest contempt for
everything that is not art.... Compared to art, all other things
represent nothing more than messing around, a rut, patience and
memories". Five days after writing these words Boccioni died after
having fallen from his horse.
This fantastic sculpture from Futurist master
artist Umberto Boccioni is a wonderful replica statue of Boccioni's
original sculpture. It has a dynamic sci-fi appearance that could have
spawned many ideas for future science fiction authors and writers. We
here at Museum Wholesale pride ourselves on offering these Fine
Historical Art figures, Collectibles, and Adaptations for retailers in
Museum Gift Stores, Tourist Galleries, Fantasy Comic Book Shops, and
more that specialize in strange and unique statues, figurines, action
figures, and novelty toys.
This meticulously reproduced
collectible art work is part of the 3D Mouseion Sculpture Collection
made by Parastone, a renown European collectible manufacturer. They
have a recognized name brand to the European audience and deserve our
attention here in the USA.
Almost
all of our items come with a
history card or string history card that provides background on the history,
mythology, location and main characteristics of the ancient original.
Many items come boxed in elegant color
gift boxes. We are progressively including more items in color boxes.
Museum Reproductions Information:
History of Art Reproductions:
As far as we know, the history of art reproductions
takes us back to Imperial Rome where bronze and marble reproductions of Greek masterpieces
served as decoration for lavish Roman Villas and Gardens. The art of casting is
thousands of years old: Terracotta’s, Bronzes and ancient glass were cast from molds.
Closer to our time in the mid 18th century coinciding with the search for new artistic
styles which took inspiration from the roots of classic art (neoclassicism) and
the discovery of Herculaneum in 1738 and Pompeii in 1748, archaeological reproductions
reappeared all over Europe. As a result of French expeditions to Egypt during the
nineteenth century, a casting facility was set up next to the Louvre Museum where
many important archaeological pieces from ancient Egypt were reproduced. Following
the example of the Louvre, other leading European museums began to reproduce some
of the masterpieces in their collections thus initiating a trend that continues
until today.
Art Reproduction Craftsmanship:
For the making of art reproductions, masterpieces
have been chosen from the best museums all over the world, The Louvre, The British
Museum, The National Museum of Athens, The Egyptian Museum Cairo, The New York Metropolitan
Museum of Art. We only use materials and techniques that can achieve the best quality
in reproducing original works of art to obtain very fine pieces, up to the last
detail. Our sculptures are cast in a variety of mediums: Bonded Stone, Polyresins,
and Bronze. The finish of each reproduction, is always hand-made and showing craftsmanship
and historical sense, is the work of an artisan. It is the task to present to the
people of today the legacy of those ancient civilizations with all the beauty and
mystery of our ancestors again in front of our eyes and at the reach of our hands.
There is several steps that must be taken before a museum reproduction sculpture
can be made. Most of our items are original artworks created by our sculptors, carved
out of clay, stone, or wood. Once the original is carved, a mold is made, usually
out of silicon. Crushed stone in a liquid resin medium is poured into a silicon
mold where it solidifies into a hard stone that reproduces all the detail and texture
of the original. All the finishes are done by hand. Many finishes include color
detailing, a labor intensive process where colors are applied with small brushes
by our skilled artisans.
Museum Reproductions
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