Umberto Boccioni was a leading figure in the Futurist Movement.
The precise identity of the soccer player (or players) who inspired him is unknown, but it may be significant that 1913, the date of the picture, was also the year when the Italian football federation staged the first national soccer tournament, culminating in a final contested by Lazio of Rome and the Piedmontese team of Pro-Vercelli (who won 6-0). The game had never been more popular.
Andrew Graham-Dixon (2002)
Mr Graham-Dixon isn't quite on the mark there with his football history.
Mr Graham-Dixon isn't quite on the mark there with his football history.
