Untitled (Peonias series) 2007

Here we have one of Cy Twombly's paintings from his 'Peonias' series, made with paint on canvas. Imagine Twombly in the studio, maybe in Italy, surrounded by the smell of oil paint. He’s circling this canvas, loaded with a brush full of red. He’s making these huge blooming shapes, kind of clumsy but also graceful, like flower heads in full, messy bloom against a vivid ground of vertical yellow scribbles. Those drips trailing down! They’re like wilting petals, or maybe the painting itself is sweating. The yellow ground feels frantic but controlled, a backdrop for the impulsive reds. I keep thinking about how Twombly admired Kline, but moved in another direction, adding colour and gesture. What does it mean to be so impulsive and so full of life? It makes me want to make paintings! It makes me wonder about the ways artists inspire each other, building a community of mark-making through paint across time.