Cy Twombly - Life and Art in Italy

"I am a Mediterranean painter" - Cy TwomblyWelcome to Episode #125:In 1952 Robert Rauschenberg photographed his friend and fellow artist Cy Twombly standing with a thin notebook next to Constantine’s colossal hand while on holiday in Rome. They were together on a traveling arts scholarship. They traveled extensively for months in Italy and North Africa. Five years later Cy Twombly moved from America to live in Rome, Italy.Cy Twombly (1928-2011) made a life in Rome as an artist. He kept the art world at bay, painting vast canvases full of white space with a trademark style to his work, secluding himself in places like Gaeta, Bassano and Rome. Twombly would take many journeys over his lifetime. Moving between places and homes and making art. Twombly’s fascination with ancient civilisations, the Mediterranean cultures, the Greco and the Roman would converge on his canvases. A love of literature and poetry underlines his art. This is a story about place, art and history, and how they intersect on the canvas of life. Musical Scores by Richard JohnstonShownotes at MichelleJohnston.lifeA Writer in Italy InstagramSubstack - At My TableMichelle’s Books© 2025  A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeMusic Composed by Richard Johnston © 2025Support the show