Nine Discourses on Commodus 1963

Cy Twombly created this suite of nine paintings on canvas, using primarily paint and perhaps some other drawing media. The surfaces are built up gesturally, with drips and splatters allowed to run freely. The imagery seems to coalesce around the color red, evoking themes of violence or passion. But there is also an intense restraint at play. The artist seems to be working within a very specific range of motions and materials. Twombly’s method involved a performative set of actions, as he built up these surfaces, which can be tied to broader social issues of labor and politics. The visceral appearance of the work certainly conveys the tremendous labor that went into its production. In the end, Twombly's “Nine Discourses on Commodus” reminds us that materiality, making, and context are crucial to understanding the full meaning of an artwork.