The complex oeuvre of the American artist Cy Twombly (1928-2011) comprises a time period of around six decades, during which it never lost any of its expressive power. Twombly was one of the most productive artists in the history of more recent art. Acclaimed as one of the most important painters of the second half of the 20th century, he fused the legacy of American Abstract Expressionism with European and Mediterranean culture.

The book focuses to a degree never before seen on his major cycles: Nine Discourses on Commodus (1963), Fifty Days at Iliam (1978), and Coronation of Sesostris (2000). The artist's development as a whole is traced based on nearly 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and photographs. This thus provides unique insights into the overall intellectual and sensual richness of the oeuvre. From his early works at the beginning of the 1950s, which are characterised by the use of text, to his compositions of the 1960s, his reaction to the minimal art and conceptual art of the 1970s to his final paintings, the overview of the oeuvre underscores the significance of the series and cycles in which Cy Twombly invented history painting anew.

With its polyphonic conception, the monograph offers numerous approaches with essays that shed light on the various aspects and phases of Twombly's path as an artist. It comprises et al. the reflections and personal impressions of other artists as well as the memories of his assistant Nicola Del Roscio. These diverse testimonies make it possible to discover Cy Twombly not only as an artist, but also as an individual.

About the Author:

Jonas Storsve is an art historian and head curator in the graphic arts department at the Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou. He has previously curated shows on Josef Albers, Alina Szapocznikow, and Jim Hodges, and has written extensively on modern art.

An authoritative survey of Twombly’s complex body of work

Cy Twombly created art that was remarkable for its versatility, sensitivity and originality. Throughout his career, he followed his own artistic pathway, independent from contemporary trends, and for a long time his work went unnoticed by a wider audience. By the time of his death in Rome, at the age of 83, he was internationally recognized as one of the greatest and most idiosyncratic artists of the 20th and early 21st century.

This book provides an authoritative overview of Twombly’s complex body of work, bringing together the most important of his paintings and painting cycles, as well as a selection of his drawings, sculptures and photographs. Each group of works is introduced and discussed by respected art historians, including Simon Schama, Laszlo Glozer, Kirk Varnedoe and Thierry Greub.

Born in Lexington, Virginia, Cy Twombly (1928–2011) studied in Boston, New York, and at Black Mountain College, South Carolina, before travelling the world and eventually settling in Europe; from 1957 onwards, he was based in Italy. At an early stage, he began to develop his own symbolic language of letters and words, which suggested a pictorial form of poetry. References from art, history and mythology soon expanded this poetic vocabulary, often combined with a sensual engagement with the painted surface.

Contents List:

Introduction by Nicola Del Roscio • DRAWINGS • Cy Twombly by Simon Schama • PAINTINGS • Inscriptions in Arcadia by Kirk Varnedoe • SCULPTURES • PHOTOGRAPHS • Twombly by Laszlo Glozer • Cy Twombly’s ‘Inverted Archaeology’ by Thierry Greub

About the Authors:

Nicola Del Roscio, Cy Twombly’s long-time companion, is the author or editor of many books on Twombly, including the catalogues raisonnés of his drawings and sculpture.
Simon Schama is Professor of History and Art History at Columbia University, New York.