Ilex Quercus (from Natural History, Part II: Some Trees of Italy), 1975

Cy Twombly, an American painter and sculptor working in the 1950s, produced paintings of loose, abstract shapes on backgrounds of neutral shades like cream and grey. The shapes were calligraphic scribbles in colors that stood out against their bases. He used a lot of written words in his paintings to help convey the meaning of the work. Cy Twombly drew largely on myths and poetry as inspiration, particularly Greek myths and Romantic poetry. He quoted lines of poets such as Keats alongside the colorful shapes. Evidence of mythological influence can be seen in works such as Apollo and the Artist, and other series of paintings. As well as painting,Cy Twombly also completed sculptures. These often drew from classical styles, frequently made in plain white. Both his paintings and his sculptures were frequently made from found materials, and from that point, he covered his sculptures in white paint and plaster to mimic that classical style. Cy Twombly's work was distinctive enough that he evaded being put into the category of any single twentieth century art movement, such as minimalism, abstract impressionism and pop art, although his work contains shades of all three.