Leda and the Swan 1963

Cy Twombly made this painting, Leda and the Swan, with paint and crayon, and well, it's a real experience. Look at how Twombly uses marks - scribbles, really - to build up the form. It's like he's thinking through making. The red paint drips, a visceral contrast to the pale crayon lines. The texture isn’t about smoothness; it’s raw, immediate. You can almost feel the energy of his hand moving across the surface. For me, the drippy red feels both violent and tender. It's like blood, but also like the flush of passion. The whole thing reminds me of late Joan Mitchell, both artists letting their emotions loose on the canvas, embracing the messy, the unresolved. It's not about answers; it's about the questions the painting asks.