Cy Twombly, Untitled (New York City) (1968)

Cy Twombly’s “Lepanto” cycle is a series of 12 paintings that trace a single day in 1571, one of the most brutal naval battles in history. The sequence begins quietly, in the early hours before the Battle of Lepanto begins, then builds toward chaos. As the series unfolds, the sea grows darker, redder, heavier—marking the scale of violence that left around 50,000 people dead in just one day. Twombly doesn’t frame the battle in terms of heroes or victors. There are no clear winners here, only move

Immerse yourself in Cy Twombly's 9-part series of "green paintings." The artist made the work for the 1988 Venice Biennale and noted that in the depths of the hot and humid summer show, he wanted the works to feel like a cool mint julep. Refresh this week and see these works at the Cy Twombly gallery at menil.org/visit. Cover 🎨: Cy Twombly, "Untitled" (detail), 1988. Oil and acrylic on plywood. 103 7/16 × 63 1/4 in. (262.7 × 160.7 cm). The Menil Collection, Houston, Gift of the artist. © Menil

Cy Twombly Biography | Pantheon