Landscape 1951

Cy Twombly made this painting, called ‘Landscape’, using paint, probably oil, on what looks like a small piece of board. The colors are pretty stark – mainly black and white with hints of yellow ochre peeking through. You can almost see him layering the paint, scraping it back, and then adding more. What was he thinking when he made this? I wonder if he was trying to find a way to express something about the world, or maybe more about himself. This reminds me a little bit of Franz Kline's work. You know, that raw, bold energy? The black marks feel so decisive, and the white space around them is just as important. That horizontal stroke across the middle – it’s almost like a horizon line. Maybe this piece is about memory and the passage of time. All these painters, like Twombly and Kline, were in conversation with each other, bouncing ideas around. Painting isn’t about fixed meanings; it’s about opening up possibilities.