Antonio Sciortino (1879-1947) - Speed

3D Model

‘Speed’ (1920s) is one of Antonio Sciortino’s equine sculptures but it aims to express an abstract concept, that of speed. The horses seem to blend into one another as they race forward and are reduced to little more than horizontal lines. The stylisation of the sculpture betrays an Art Deco influence, but the concept and the use of lines to depict movement look towards Futurism. The lines are the gushes of displaced air caused by the forward projectile movement of the horses. Only the horses’ heads with flaring nostrils and their front legs remind us that this is a figurative work. Sciortino felt strongly about this piece, describing it as a strong power passing through which no obstacle can stop, leaving behind a force leading in the opposite direction.