Untitled

In the early 1960s, Cy Twombly’s creativity erupted in a torrent of vigorously rendered works that brim with powerful, enigmatic motifs inspired by the rich artistic heritage of his newly adopted city of Rome. Created in 1964, Untitled illustrates the major pictorial themes of this era. Hovering, densely rendered cloud-like forms of graphite billow alongside towering graphite scribbles. Familiar tropes are brimming within the surface of the creamy white sheet—numbers, letters, a leaf—scribbled and hatched in the penciled doodles that have come to define his deeply personal vernacular. Reaching into the cultural heritage of Rome, Twombly creates a modern homage to his new surroundings and deep-rooted history in this powerful and intimate work.