%C2%A9 Cy Twombly Foundation
Untitled, 1971
Cy Twomblyexpand_more
Graphite, blue and black oil crayon, and collageexpand_more
The John R. Van Derlip Fundexpand_more 74.20.2
Not on Viewexpand_more
This drawing is from a series that includes collaged photographic illustrations of Leonardo da Vinci’s sketchbooks. Italian art captivated Cy Twombly, especially after he moved permanently to Rome in 1957. He was fascinated by Leonardo’s anatomical and scientific drawings, which are both graphic and abstract, and used them as springboards for his own creativity.
Here Twombly attached a reproduction of Leonardo’s sketch of the peripheral nerves of the leg, turned sideways so it is no longer recognizable as an anatomical study. He drew horizontal lines of varying length and density onto this image, echoing lines on the bottom half of the sheet. Sequences of numbers, including the date of the work (24-12-71), appear in several places. These and the artist’s initials at the upper left become pictorial elements, as does the white of the paper itself. Though entirely abstract, the work reads as a landscape, with horizontal lines and masses of marks suggesting topographical undulations.
Details
- Title
- Untitled
- Artist Life
- 1928-2011
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 74.20.2
- Provenance
- [Locksley Shea Gallery, Minneapolis]; sold to MIA, 1974.
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
© Cy Twombly Foundation