In 1910, Marinetti recruited three men who could really paint – Umberto Boccioni (1882-1916), Luigi Russolo (1885-1947) and Carlo Carra (1881-1966). He helped them to write two manifestos, to ‘the young artists of Italy’; the very first one explained the theories behind Futurism, the second suggested how to put them on canvas. Soon, other artists, for example Gino Severini (1883-1966) and Giacomo Balla (1871-1958) joined up.

Their main principle was universal dynamism. For the Futurists, everything moved and changed rapidly, and nothing remained static and isolated. Their globe was a constant flow of interaction – an object gained its identity only in relation to the things around it. Universal dynamism complemented their passion for city life, with all its speedy technology – trains, cars and, overhead, aeroplanes. They urged other artists to abandon conventional subjects, and to concentrate on the energetic whizz of urban existence.

Boccioni’s The City Rises conveys all the energy from the city and its workers. A swirl of movement rushes through the figures; it peaks in the centre, where a large rearing horse symbolizes the energy from the crowd. The Futurist enthusiasm for bold, shimmering colours adds further vibrancy towards the work.

In Russolo’s Music, colour expresses the sounds made by a pianist. Noises surge in a blue spiral, and also the melody coils around the rapt musician. Strong lines of colour dart into the pianist’s globe – notes, perhaps, charged with emotion. Futurist painters frequently utilized sharp, forceful lines to suggest thrusting movement, or pent-up tensions.

The Futurists had big ideas and chose odd subjects, but their techniques were not wholly original. Severini lived in Paris, and introduced the others towards the latest artistic breakthroughs. In Armoured Train, he utilized the same Cubist technique as Picasso, breaking up the surface of the scene. Boccioni frequently adopted an Impressionistic style with his brush strokes.