Solon I 1952

With ‘Solon I’ you can almost feel Cy Twombly’s hand at work, swiping and marking. Look at those dark, looming shapes at the top, like heavy clouds about to burst. I imagine him, cigarette dangling from his lips, lost in thought, maybe pondering the weight of history, the echoes of ancient voices, the same way he was when he made his scribbled notes. The surface is built up, layers upon layers, a topography of touch. The paint is kinda crusty, built up in ridges. The way the drips cascade down—are they tears, or just the natural flow of paint finding its way? Twombly was always in conversation with the greats, riffing off their themes, their gestures. Like a painter whispering across time: "I see you, and I raise you this..." This piece is all about the push and pull, the tension between control and chance, between knowing and not knowing.