The artwork, titled “Fifty Days at Iliam. Shades of Achilles, Patroclus, and Hector,” was created by Cy Twombly in 1978 as part of the Neo-Expressionism art movement. It is an abstract piece and belongs to the series “Fifty Days at Iliam.”
This artwork features three indistinct, cloud-like forms. Each form is filled with different colors and positioned against a stark, white background. The left form is predominantly red, the central form is blue, and the right form is white and muted. The names “Achilles,” “Patroclus,” and “Hector” are inscribed above each respective form in a scribbled, almost casual manner. The forms and inscriptions evoke a sense of dynamic, yet ethereal movement, possibly echoing the transient and ephemeral nature of the characters they represent from the epic tale of Iliam. The overall composition is fluid and spontaneous, characteristic of Twombly’s expressive abstract style.
