The Laugh

The Laugh
ArtistUmberto Boccioni
Year1911
MediumOil on canvas
MovementFuturism
LocationMuseum of Modern Art, New York City, US
Websitewww.moma.org/collection/works/80199

The Laugh (Italian: La risata), sometimes translated into English as Laughter, is a futurist painting by Umberto Boccioni.[1] It is Boccioni's first truly futurist work, as he desired to break away from divisionist work.[2]

Description

Detail of the woman's smile
Laughing woman by Malyavin

The Laugh shows a vibrant scene of a woman conversing with a group of other women at night. They are in urban setting, and she is smiling with laughter. The primary colors used are shades of green, red, and blue. The woman is lit from below, giving her a sinister look.[3]

The painting echoes The Laugh (1899) by Filipp Malyavin, in both subject matter and title.[4] It is possible that this was a source of inspiration for Boccioni.

Reception

The painting initially received negative reception. At the Ricordi Pavilion in Milan, The Laugh was defaced by a visitor, who ran their fingers through the wet paint, causing Boccioni to have to repaint it in 1912.[5] As time progressed, the painting became more appreciated.

References

  1. ^ "Umberto Boccioni. The Laugh. 1911 | MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  2. ^ Savorelli, Eleonora (2018). Emotions of Modernity: the Portrait of Feelings in Umberto Boccioni’s States of Mind I (BA thesis). Archived from the original on 2025-11-18.
  3. ^ Medero López, Natalia (2024). Cultural Translation: The Nexus of Mexican Muralism and Italian Futurism in Orozco’s Katharsis mural (BA thesis). Archived from the original on 2026-01-15.
  4. ^ Fergonzi, Flavio. "On the Title of the Painting “Materia”." Boccioni's Materia: A Futurist Masterpiece and the Avant-garde in Milan and Paris. The Solomon Guggenheim Museum, 2004. 47-53.
  5. ^ Barr, Alfred H. “Works of Art: Given or Promised.” The Bulletin of the Museum of Modern Art, vol. 26, no. 1, 1958, pp. 12–52. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/4058275. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.

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