Painted poetry: the ultimate monograph on Cy Twombly's painting,
drawing, sculpture and photography
Recognized as one of the greatest and most idiosyncratic artists of the
postwar era, Cy Twombly left behind an oeuvre of incredible versatility,
sensitivity and originality upon his death in 2011 at age 83. Working in
the immediate aftermath of abstract expressionism, Twombly developed an
intensely personal scription consisting of scrawled letters and words,
in an effusive, calligraphic mark-making that suggests a kind of painted
poetry. Working across painting, drawing, sculpture and photography with
a restless energy, Twombly incorporated the gods of Ancient Greece, the
poetry of Stéphane Mallarmé and the history, culture and mythology of
the Occident into his art. The Essential Cy Twombly, edited by Twombly's
longtime collaborator Nicola Del Roscio, is the ultimate overview of his
work, presenting the most important paintings and cycles of paintings,
drawings, sculptures and photographs from Twombly's diverse oeuvre. The
most accessible survey of his work to date, this volume includes essays
by Laszlo Glozer, Thierry Greub, Kirk Varnedoe and Simon Schama.
