The Martyrs – A Futurist’s Funeral Going Round a Corner (1910–24)

Herbert Crowley’s intriguing ink drawing, titled "The Martyrs – A Futurist’s Funeral Going Round a Corner," conceived between 1910 and 1924, offers a captivating glimpse into a period marked by radical artistic innovation. This work, merging elements of fantasy and stark linearity, invites viewers into a dramatically staged urban scape.The scene is composed with a striking graphic intensity; Crowley employs bold, looping curves and sharp angles to shape an environment that seems both architecturally structured and whimsically fluid. The main focus of the piece is a procession of peculiar vehicles, each carrying arrays of figures portrayed in mournful postures, suggesting a ceremonial funeral rite. These cars, depicted in motion, seem to whirl around a cityscape corner, emphasizing a sense of dynamic urgency.Adding to the scene’s complexity, Crowley integrates background details that evoke a sense of industrious urban life. Buildings are densely packed, and their repetitive windows suggest apartment blocks. A grid-like park, reminiscent of formal gardens with neatly trimmed trees, provides a stark contrast to the fluid motion of the funeral procession. Small scattered figures, which might denote onlookers or pedestrians, populate the landscape, providing scale and further emphasizing the solemnity of the event.Herbert Crowley’s meticulous attention to detail not only crafts a narrative about futurism and modernity but also reflects the societal fascination with technology and speed, typical of the early 20th century.