The artwork “Nine Discourses on Commodus, Part III” created by Cy Twombly in 1963 is part of his “Nine Discourses on Commodus” series. This piece is an example of Abstract Expressionism, and Twombly used a combination of oil, wax, and pencil on canvas to execute this abstract genre artwork.
The painting presents a stark, mostly white background that is characteristic of Twombly’s style, with a central area dominated by gestural strokes and splatters of red and hints of other colors. The erratic brushstrokes and the use of red suggest a sense of violence or chaos, perhaps in reference to the tumultuous reign of the Roman Emperor Commodus, whom the series is centered around. The red marks are concentrated towards the top half of the canvas, with some of these marks trailing downwards in drips that penetrate the otherwise pristine white space. The pencil marks create a sense of structure or framing but are subtle and do not contain the dynamic application of paint. The work’s abstract nature leaves much to the interpretation of the viewer, with a feeling of spontaneity and emotional intensity.
