The artwork “Nine Discourses on Commodus” was created by the artist Cy Twombly in 1963. The art pieces are made using an amalgamation of mediums including crayon, oil, pencil, and wax. They belong to the Abstract Expressionist movement and are abstract in genre. The works are presented as a series under the same title, created during the year 1963.
Describing the artwork, we see a sequence of large, vertically oriented canvases framed and mounted along the curved walls of a gallery space. The canvases have a neutral, possibly white background, and they feature explosive marks, scribbles, and strokes predominantly in red, with some touches of blue and other colors. The application of media appears spontaneous and energetic, exemplifying Twombly’s characteristic approach that often involves gestural marks and an emphasis on the physical act of painting. Each canvas has its own distinctive pattern of marks and intensity, but they all seem to communicate with each other, creating a rhythmic and visual dialogue as one moves along the series. The art invokes emotion and thought through its abstraction, possibly reflecting on the chaotic and often turbulent nature of the historical figure Commodus, whom the series references.
