Untitled, Rome 1960

Curator: Here we have Cy Twombly's "Untitled, Rome," created in 1960 using ink, graphite, and watercolor on paper. What strikes you initially about this piece? Editor: It feels like a whispered secret, or a half-remembered dream. So delicate, almost ephemeral. There's a vulnerability in those scrawls and washes that I find incredibly moving. Like glancing at the artists' notebook on the windiest day of spring. Curator: Twombly spent a significant period living and working in Rome, which profoundly impacted his artistic style. His work is often seen as a reaction against the rigid formalism of much post-war art, embracing a more intuitive and emotionally charged approach. Does this tie in with your vision of the work so far? Editor: Absolutely. You can sense a conversation happening, but I'm not sure who's involved or what's at stake. The "Untitled" title itself points to his desire to let viewers wander within this landscape without imposing a fixed meaning. He gives the spectator freedom, but maybe a bit too much of it sometimes? Curator: It’s fascinating to consider Twombly's work in the context of Abstract Expressionism. While sharing a spirit of spontaneity, his approach is far more layered and references ancient mythology and classical literature, which seems at odds here with his apparent immediacy. But he almost does his own thing. Do you think this has something to do with his cultural experiences in Europe and the mediterranean? Editor: Maybe it's the feeling of being adrift in a sea of influences. The marks, the scribbles almost suggest a code – like fragments of half-understood classical texts surfacing. A constant desire to reconcile the old with the contemporary, or high with the low. There’s a rawness, an incompleteness about the composition that feels radical. Curator: It's that tension, that delicate balance, which I find so captivating. It’s art about feeling, process, being. This artwork in particular really reflects those aspects. Editor: Ultimately, it remains such an introspective journey, almost an investigation into our perception. Curator: Indeed, leaving us with more questions than answers about Twombly and ourselves.