Studio Sundays: Cy Twombly in his Studio

Cy Twombly holding a large piece of paper with a drawing on it



It’s Studio Sunday! Today we’re taking a look at abstract artist Cy Twombly, seen here in his studio in Rome in 1962. Twombly's studio was part of his home, and reflected his fascination with antiquity and classical European art. Featuring atterned tile floors and high, white walls with tall windows to let in natural light, the studio was also home to many pieces of antique furniture and sculpture. .


Born in Lexington City, Virginia in 1928, Twombly came of age right as the American abstract expressionism movement was reaching its height. In 1950, he travelled to New York to study at the Art Students League. There he was exposed to the artwork of Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman and others who would become the stars of the era in art. In spite of these strong influences and his ties to the booming art scene in New York, Twombly continued to travel all over the world, eventually settling in Rome where he lived until his death in 2011.


Cy Twombly is well known for his large, frenetic abstract work, using paint, as well as materials such as wax crayons and graphite. He often drew directly onto still-wet paintings, creating works that seemed to exist purely for the love of the materials and experimentation therein. His paintings may seem almost childlike in execution, and yet draw from a vast array of historic and artistic influences over the artist’s lifetime

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Written by: Dallas Jeffs
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