Cy Twombly
JOHN MACDOUGALL
Virginia native Cy Twombly—an influential, path-breaking abstract artist—died in Rome on July 5 at the age of 83 after a struggle with cancer. Twombly’s work can’t easily be categorized. Though often described as a modernist, he chafed against the minimalism that marked the work of so many modern artists. Refusing to abide by expectations, Twombly followed his passions—away from the United States, into explorations of myth and fantasy, through experiments with disparate historical themes and dramatic uses of color and composition. The end result is a body of work that will long endure, placing Twombly in the highest ranks of modern artists.
David Lees / Getty Images
At the museum Brandhorst in Munich, 2009.
Miguel Villagran / Getty Images
At the Kunsthaus in Bregenz, Austria, 2007.
Eddy Risch / AP Photo
At the museum Brandhorst in Munich, 2009.
Matthias Schrader / AP Photo
At the Centre Pompidou in Paris, 2004.
Pierre Verdy / Getty Images
At the Centre Pompidou in Paris, 2004.
Pierre Verdy / Getty Images
At the Kunsthaus in Bregenz, Austria, 2007.
Eddy Risch / AP Photo
Venice, Italy, 2006.
Raphael Gaillarde / Getty Images
At the Brandhorst museum in Munich, 2009.
JOHN MACDOUGALL
From 2005.
Johannes Simon / Getty Images
Twombly arrives at the the Louvre museum in Paris, 2010.
Christophe Ena / AP Photo
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