“Fifty Days at Iliam. Ilians in Battle,” created by the artist Cy Twombly in 1978, is an abstract artwork that belongs to the Neo-Expressionism art movement. This piece is part of the “Fifty Days at Iliam” series, illustrating themes tied to the legendary conflicts of ancient Iliam.
The artwork displays a dynamic and chaotic composition characterized by energetic scribbles, smudges, and enigmatic text. The canvas features a predominantly light background, with marks and symbols rendered in varying shades of blue, red, and black. Writing in capital letters, such as “ARES,” “HECTOR,” and “TROILUS,” evoke figures from classical mythology, indicating the tumultuous scene suggested by the piece. Twombly’s gestures convey a sense of urgency and the harrowing atmosphere of battle, merging both visual intensity and historical allusion in a distinctively abstract manner.
