Abstract Speed + Sound is one of several studies of motion created by Balla in 1913-1914. Balla chose the automobile as a symbol of speed, reflecting the statement of Futurist founder Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's 1909 first manifesto: "The world's splendor has been enriched by a new beauty: the beauty of speed... A roaring automobile...that seems to run on shrapnel, is more beautiful than the Victory of Samothrace." The painting evokes the sensation of the passing of an automobile, with crisscrossing lines representing sound.
The painting is said to have captured the ideals of Italian Futurism. It was featured on the 1980 British television series 100 Great Paintings, which presented five paintings from each of 20 thematic groups.
Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash
Street Light
A Young Girl Running on a Balcony
Mercury Passing Before the Sun