Cy Twombly’s first visit to Italy as a young man ignited a lifelong passion for classical culture that is everywhere present in his art. Painted canvases, works on paper, and small-scale sculptures reveal the historical soul of Twombly’s abstract compositions. Taking on myths and heroes as personal guides, he created a psychologically complex dialogue with the visual and literary art of antiquity.
This sumptuously illustrated publication reproduces a carefully chosen selection of the artist’s paintings, drawings, and sculptures alongside works of classical antiquity, including a number from his personal collection. Illuminating essays by leading scholars explore the often enigmatic engagement of Twombly’s art with the world of the past.
Cy Twombly
Cy Twombly (American, 1928–2011) was a seminal American artist who came of age immediately following the Abstract Expressionist generation. His iconic large-scale paintings consisted of looping marks scribbled and smeared on raw canvas or linen. Twombly’s practice melded his interest in Roman and Greek mythological stories, including Leda and the Swan, with the frenetic doodling of chalk on a blackboard. “My line is childlike but not childish. It is very difficult to fake,” he once explained. “To get that quality you need to project yourself into the child’s line. It has to be felt.”
Product Details
ISBN-10: 0878468749
ISBN-13: 978-0878468744
Dimensions: 24.13 x 3.18 x 27.94 cm
Hardcover: 264 pages
Publisher: MFA Publications – The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; 1st edition (6 Aug. 2020)
Language: English
