Untitled (Peonies)

The Art Foundation, Santa Monica, the USA.

Acrylic, wax, pencil, wood panel.

In Twombly’s work, completely abstract compositions gradually turn into recognizable objects, such as Peonies. The artist was inspired by Japanese art and poetry, in which he became interested in the early 2000s. Bright red spots of flowers are freely located on a bright yellow background, going beyond the space of the canvas, and causing thoughts of infinity. Peony is a symbol of man-made beauty and aesthetic contemplation in Japanese culture. Next to the image, Twombly placed a line of haiku poetry that describes how a Japanese samurai put down his sword and armor to admire the beauty of flowers.