Conversation about Commodus

The Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain.

Oil paint, pencil, wax pencil, canvas.

One of the nine paintings that make up the series dedicated to the assassination of ancient Roman emperor Commodus in 192 AD. It was created after the murder of Kennedy, and the white-red spots and splashes prevailing in it give reason to believe that it is a reaction to this event. The works from the “About Commodus” series were presented at the Leo Castelli gallery for the first time in 1964 and provoked rejection and negative assessments, which were associated with the dominance of Minimalism and Pop art in the art of that time. But now these bright and pictures are recognized as one of the best creations by Cy Twombly.