his life and work in 2 minutes

Cy Twombly (1928–2011) en bref

A major artist of American abstraction, Cy Twombly is at the origin of the invention of a poetic and exceptionally free plastic vocabulary. Often monumental, his works combine large scribbles and energetic calligraphy that can evoke graffiti. Scholar, the artist – who totally renews abstract expressionism after the generation of Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko – goes beyond the usual divide between figuration and abstraction, multiplies in his works references to history, mythologyto poetry. Known as a painter, Cy Twombly is also a sculptor and photographer.

He said

“I have the feeling more of living an experience than of making a painting. »

The life of Cy Twombly in a few dates

Cy Twombly, a young avant-garde painter

Edwin Parker Twombly (known as Cy Twombly) was born in Lexington (Virginia), in the United States, in 1928. He did not come from an artistic background, his father being a professional baseball player and then a sports teacher. His family, however, is very cultured. The young boy took an early interest in paintingworks outdoors and takes classes in Boston. In the early 1950s, he enrolled in l’Art Students League de New York and was formed through contact with abstract expressionism, then dominant on the American scene. He became particularly close with Robert Rauschenberg. Twombly joins the avant-garderubbing shoulders with Robert Motherwell, John Cage and Merce Cunningham. He began to exhibit, and also traveled to Europe and North Africa.

A very personal vision of abstract expressionism

In the 1950s, Twombly developed his personal style, including frantic lines possibly reminiscent of graffiti art. Behind the chaos there is actually a very controlled approach of the composition. The artist also introduces words, letters and numbers in his creations. Indeed, the artist attaches importance to the scriptural character which appears in his paintings, but also in his drawings and collages. Colors only really appeared in his work from the 1960s. Twombly appreciates vary the techniques (industrial paint, wax crayons, etc.) and supports. He generally works on several works at the same time, even at night, with the lights off.

An American in Italy

Cy Twombly settles in Italy in 1957 but remains an eternal traveler. In 1959, he married the painter Tatiana Franchetti. At this time, he found his inspiration through literature and the great figures of Greco-Roman mythology. This passion never leaves him, in particular his fascination withIliad of Homer. During the 1960s, alongside his interest in ancient history, Twombly began working on series on the theme of historical assassinationspast or contemporary.

The recognition of Cy Twombly

Cy Twombly’s international recognition first appeared in Europe. In 1964, he was invited to Venice Biennale. The United States took longer to devote major monographic exhibitions to him – only from 1979. From then on, the artist exhibited throughout the world, in the most prestigious institutions. That said, the artist has never been shunned by American gallery owners, having worked in particular with Leo Castelli and the Gagosian Gallery. In 2001, Cy Twombly was awarded the Golden Lion during the Venice Biennale. The artist died in Rome in 2011.

His key works

School of Athens1961

After settling in Italy, Cy Twombly deepened his knowledge of Greco-Roman culture, but also of great masterpieces of the Renaissance. Here he pays homage to the decor painted by Raphael in one of the rooms of the Vatican, representing Plato and Aristotle surrounded by a pantheon of philosophers. Although Twmobly’s language leans towards abstraction, the notion of narration is of great importance in his work, as is his attachment to emphasizing the links between the past and the present.

Achilles Mourning the Death of Patroclus1962

In the 1960s, Cy Twombly was particularly interested in theme of death and Homeric stories. The artist here interprets his perception of a scene from theIliad reporting the return of Patroclus’ remains to the Greek camp by his friend Achilles. Mourning is expressed here with force and economy: only two red spotsspread with the hands, evoke death, crime, pain and the cruelty of loss. From a great symbolic powerwithout being figurative but while being literary, this work is both minimal and complex.

Blooming2001–2008

Unveiled during the Cy Twombly exhibition at the Lambert Collection in Avignon in 2007, this work belongs to a series painted by the artist and dedicated to peony theme. Exalting the red colorthe patterns are imbued with this particular energy, mixing vigor and poetry. Twombly would have been inspired by a Japanese haiku, but this series can also evoke in the eyes of the viewer the Water lilies by Claude Monet or even the Flowers d’Andy Warhol.