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What does simultaneity mean in Giacomo Balla’s Futurist paintings?

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Umberto Boccioni: Unique Forms of Continuity in Space — Futurism *Unique Forms of Continuity in Space*, bronze sculpture by Umberto Boccioni, 1913; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

In the context of Futurism, simultaneity refers to the artistic technique of rendering motion by depicting multiple aspects or positions of a moving object at the same time.1

In the works of Giacomo Balla, this principle is used to capture the perception of speed and change. By showing a series of planes or rhythmic spatial repetitions of an object’s outlines during transit, Balla creates an effect that resembles multiple photographic exposures of a subject in motion.12

A definitive example of this is his painting Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash (1912), which illustrates the concept by rendering the legs of a trotting dog as a blur of multiple images, effectively capturing a single moment across a series of planes. This approach was influenced by Cubist techniques of fragmentation and intersection, as well as Balla’s interest in the technology of photography.12