Bay of Naples 1961

Cy Twombly made this 'Bay of Naples' sometime in his career with paint and probably a few other things thrown in. It's all about process, seeing where the marks lead. I’m really drawn to the surface; it's not just paint, is it? There's a kind of chalky, almost scribbled quality in the upper left corner. It's like the painting is thinking out loud, right there. The red feels almost urgent, like a shout, against the pale ground. Look at the drips, the way they cascade down— it reminds me of Helen Frankenthaler's staining, but with a more frantic energy. There's a dialogue happening here. It feels like a dance between control and chance, and that's what makes it sing. Think of Twombly's fascination with ancient history and myth, you can feel the echoes of ruins and fragments, maybe a nod to someone like Rauschenberg with the collage elements. It's a messy, beautiful conversation across time.