Cy Twombly, a visionary artist spanning decades, merged painting, drawing, and language, leaving a lasting global legacy. Educated at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Art Students League in New York, his early exposure to Robert Rauschenberg and Franz Kline shaped his style. Moving beyond Abstract Expressionism in the 1950s, he developed gestural abstraction, favoring intellectual depth over raw emotion.

A hallmark of his work was integrating text—poetry, phrases, and historical references—into visceral brushwork, creating a dialogue between art and language. His 1960s "blackboard" series, with white scribbles on dark backgrounds, highlighted mark-making’s tension between spontaneity and control.

Relocating to Italy in the late 1950s infused his work with classical mythology, Mediterranean landscapes, and ancient history. Later decades saw monumental sculptures and canvases exploring love, sexuality, and human experience through layered abstraction. Exhibited globally, his innovative fusion of mediums earned him international acclaim, inspiring contemporary artists worldwide.