Coronation of Sesostris 2000

Cy Twombly made this painting, Coronation of Sesostris, in 2000 with house paint and crayon on canvas. Just imagine Twombly in his studio, pushing and pulling these marks across the canvas, trying something out, maybe not knowing exactly where it’s going. It’s like he's conducting a wild experiment with color and form. I can see these drips of diluted crimson paint, creating vertical lines that run down the canvas like tears or maybe streams of blood. Then these smudges of black crayon sort of explode from the center, with these delicate strokes of yellow and red gathering into clusters, like wilting flowers. This feels connected to Twombly's wider exploration of mark-making and his interest in ancient history and mythology. I think that he, like other artists, is speaking to his influences and contemporaries across time, remixing ideas in his own way. Artists are always building on each other’s energy, it is a beautiful conversation!