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Cy Twombly at Museum Brandhorst

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Permanent exhibition

Cy Twombly at Museum Brandhorst

Cy Twombly , Lepanto VII, 2001, UAB 475aus der Sammlung Brandhorst

Museum Brandhorst in Munich holds one of the most extensive collections of works by the American artist Cy Twombly (1928 – 2011). The entire upper floor of the museum is dedicated to him. Among the highlight of this unique collection, in addition to the Rose Room, is the Lepanto Cycle, for which a room was created especially.

Exhibition info

Period

Since

Duration

ca. 90 minutes

Curated by

Achim Hochdörfer

About the exhibition

The exhibition on the upper floor spans a comprehensive arc from Cy Twombly’s early works to his last pieces. Charged, abstract forms, painterly gestures, and approaches to writing are recurring motifs in Twombly’s oeuvre. The scrawling lines applied to mostly white, often dirty-looking backgrounds are reminiscent of New York graffiti as well as inscriptions and carvings on Roman ruins. These and other allusions to his adopted country Italy and the Mediterranean culture can be found as topoi in his works.

Ausstellungsansicht Museum brandhorst mit Werken von Cy Twombly Wie die Sammlung Brandhorst ins Museum fand
Ausstellungsansicht Museum Brandhorst mit Werken von Cy Twombly Architektur von Sauerbruch & Hutton
Cy Twombly, Untitled, 2005, UAB 489aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Installationsansicht Cy Twombly im Museum Brandhorst
Cy Twombly, Rotalla, 1986/1990, UAB 463aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Skultpur der Künstlers Cy Twombly aus weißen gips in rechteckiger Form mit farbigen Blumeartigen Elementen

The Lepanto Cycle

The monumental “Lepanto” cycle (2001) is a major work by Cy Twombly, consisting of twelve paintings that are on permanent display in the Lepanto Room at Museum Brandhorst. The room was designed according to the artist’s wishes. Unusual color accents in a wide range of yellows, reds, turquoises and aquamarines define the drama of the sequence of paintings, which focus on one of the most symbolic naval battles in history: On October 7, 1571, the Holy League, an alliance of Spanish, Venetian, and Papal forces, defeated the Ottoman fleet at Lepanto (now Nafpaktos) on the Gulf of Corinth.

 

The paintings are arranged in alternating sequences of single motifs and series: The first, fourth, eighth, and twelfth paintings appear as bird’s-eye views of boat hulls, which at the same time give the impression of flames or gaping wounds because of the coloration. In the three intervening sequences, the dramaturgy of a battle is hinted at: From the tense calm before the confrontation begins, to the explosions of color in the center, to the red-colored panels at the end. In Twombly’s work, there is no partisanship: the ships do not form opposing fleets, they do not fight or win, they only burn and sink into the sea-blue glazes.

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Installationsansicht von Cy Twomblys Lepantosaal im Museum Brandhorst in München
Ausstellungsansicht Lepanto-Saal von Cy Twombly im Museum Brandhorst in München
Besucherin im Museum Brandhorst im Lepanto Saal von Cy Twombly
Installationsansicht von Cy Twomblys Lepantosaal im Museum Brandhorst in München
Installationsansicht von Cy Twomblys Lepantosaal im Museum Brandhorst in München

The Roses Gallery

In 2008, Cy Twombly created a series of six paintings entitled “Untitled (Roses)” especially for Museum Brandhorst. Their presentation in this room is unique due to the mutual effect and coordination between architecture and art. The large paintings depict a series of abstracted roses composed of overlapping planes and brushstrokes. In bold hues of red, pink, blue, yellow and green, countless streaks flow across the canvas, reinforcing the power and intensity of the motifs.

 

Flowers and the exploration of their cultural and historical significance occupy a prominent place in Cy Twombly’s work. As with many of his works, Twombly has attached literary references to roses, thus telling a small “cultural history of the rose.” Cy Twombly uses poems by Rilke, Eliot, Dickinson and Bachmann, alluding to very different themes such as memory, beauty, eroticism, loneliness, vulnerability and death.

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Rosensaal von Cy Twombly im Museum Brandhorst
Besucherin im Museum Brandhorst vor Werken von Cy Twombly Rosensaal
Ausstellungsansicht Museum brandhorst mit Werken von Cy Twombly Rosensaal 'Forever Young - 10 Jahre Museum Brandhorst'

Program

Workshop Kids & Families

Kids’ Factory | Associative Drawing

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Workshop

Silver Factory | Scriptural Abstraction

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Workshop Kids & Families

Kids’ Factory | ABC of Signs

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“For me, the past is the source, because all art is essentially contemporary.”

Cy Twombly

Cy Twombly in the Brandhorst Collection

Udo Brandhorst purchased his first work by Cy Twombly in Munich in 1967; thereafter, Twombly was always central to the Brandhorsts’ passion for collecting. Over the course of the 1970s, they gradually acquired further drawings and paintings, and from the late 1980s also sculptures. These continuous acquisitions allow Museum Brandhorst to provide an overview of Twombly’s entire oeuvre, from the 1950s to his very last works. A deep friendship developed between the couple and Twombly, which also led to the Brandhorsts seeing many of his works in his studio before they were even finished.

Artworks on view

Cy Twombly, Ramification, 1971, UAB 452aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Ramification, 1971 Upper floor
Werkabbildung Cy Twombly, Bacchanalia - Winter (5 Days in February), 1977 im Museum Brandhorst in München Teil der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Bacchanalia – Winter (5 Days in February), 1977 Upper floor
Werkabbildung Cy Twombly, Bacchanalia - Fall (5 Days in October), 1977 im Museum Brandhorst in München Teil der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Bacchanalia – Fall (5 Days in October), 1977 Ground floor
Werkabbildung Cy Twombly, Bacchanalia - Fall (5 Days in November), 1977 im Museum Brandhorst in München Teil der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Bacchanalia – Fall (5 Days in November), 1977 Upper floor
Werkabbildung Cy Twombly, Bacchanalia - Winter (5 Days in January), 1977 im Museum Brandhorst in München Teil der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Bacchanalia – Winter (5 Days in January), 1977 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Lepanto I, 2001, UAB 469Lepanto Zyklus aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Lepanto I, 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Lepanto VII, 2001, UAB 475aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Lepanto VII, 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Lepanto IV, 2001, UAB 472aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Lepanto IV, 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Lepanto VIII, 2001, UAB 476aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Lepanto VIII, 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Lepanto XI, 2001, UAB 479aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Lepanto XI, 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Lepanto XII, 2001, UAB 480aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Lepanto XII, 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Lepanto VI, 2001, UAB 474Lepanto Zyklus aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Lepanto VI, 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Lepanto V, 2001, UAB 473Lepanto Zyklus aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Lepanto V, 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Lepanto II, 2001, UAB 470Lepanto Zyklus aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Lepanto II, 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Lepanto III, 2001, UAB 471aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Lepanto III, 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Lepanto IX, 2001, UAB 477Lepanto Zyklus aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Lepanto IX, 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Lepanto X, 2001, UAB 478Lepanto Zyklus aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Lepanto X, 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (Camino Real), UAB 806aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Camino Real), 2011 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Gaeta Set (for the Love of Fire & Water), 1981, UAB 459 1/10-10/10aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Gaeta Set (For The Love of Fire & Water), 1981 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitles (Geata), 1992, UAB 467aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Gaeta), 1992 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Untitled (Rome), 1983, UAB 460aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Rome), 1983 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Winter's Passage: Luxor (Rome), 1985, UAB 461aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Winter’s Passage: Luxor (Rome), 1985 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Rotalla, 1986/1990, UAB 463aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Rotalla, 1986/1990 Upper floor
Cy Twombly Untitled (Gaeta), 1990 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, THERMOPYLAE (MEUDON), 1992, UAB 466aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Thermopylae (Meudon), 1990 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (Gaeta), 1993, UAB 468aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Gaeta), 1993 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Celtic Boat, 1994
Cy Twombly Celtic Boat (Gaeta), 1994 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled, 2003, UAB 485aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled, 2003 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled, 2003, UAB 484aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled, 2003 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Untitled, 2003, UAB 481aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled, 2003 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled, 2004, UAB 655aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled, 2004 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled, 2005, UAB 489aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled, 2005 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (Bacchus), 2005, UAB 488aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Bacchus), 2005 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (Bacchus), 2005, UAB 487aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Bacchus), 2005 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled ('THE MATHEMATICAL DREAM OF ASHURBANIPAL') (Lexington), 2000, UAB 657aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (“THE MATHEMATICAL DREAM OF ASHURBANIPAL”) (Lexington), 2000 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitles (OM MA NI PAD ME HUM), 2000, UAB 649aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (“Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum”) (Lexington), 2000 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled ('In Memory of Babur“) (Lexington), 2000, UAB 658aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (“In Memory of Babur”) (Lexington), 2000 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (Capri), 1960, UAB 442aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Capri), 1960 Upper floor
Cy Twombly Untitled (Gaeta), 2004 Upper floor
Cy Twombly Untitled (Roma), 1965 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (Lexington), 2003, UAB 656aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Lexington), 2003 Upper floor
Skultpur der Künstlers Cy Twombly aus weißen gips in rechteckiger Form mit farbigen Blumeartigen Elementen
Cy Twombly Untitled (Lexington), 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (Lexington), 2002, UAB 651aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Lexington), 2002 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (Lexington), 2001, UAB 653aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Lexington), 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (Lexington), 2001, UAB 654aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Lexington), 2001 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (New York City), 1955/2002, UAB 435aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (New York City), 1955/2002 Basement floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (New York City), 1968, UAB 448aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (New York City), 1968 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (Rome), 1953/1989, UAB 434aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Rome), 1953/1989 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Untitled (Rome), 1957, UAB 437
Cy Twombly Untitled (Rome), 1957 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Untitled (Rome), 1962, UAB 444aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Rome), 1962 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Untitled (Roses), 2008, UAB 645
Cy Twombly Untitled (Roses), 2008 Upper floor
Cy Twombly , Untitled (Roses), 2008, UAB 648
Cy Twombly Untitled (Roses), 2008 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (Roses), 2008, UAB 646aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Roses), 2008 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (Roses), 2008, UAB 644aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Roses), 2008 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (Roses), 2008, UAB 643Rosensaal im Museum Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Roses), 2008 Upper floor
Cy Twombly, Untitled (Roses), 2008, UAB 647aus der Sammlung Brandhorst
Cy Twombly Untitled (Roses), 2008 Ground floor

Cy Twombly in Munich

Cy Twombly’s attachment to the Bavarian metropolis goes back to the 1960s. He liked the southern flair of the city, whose intellectual and everyday life is characterized by a pronounced closeness to Italy, matching that of the artist, who had already moved to Rome in 1957. He loved the museums, especially the Glyptothek and the Alte Pinakothek, and liked to exhibit his art frequently in Munich. New groups of works were regularly shown in gallery exhibitions here; in 1973, one of his first institutional solo exhibitions was held at the Lenbachhaus, and his monumental Lepanto cycle made a splendid appearance at the Alte Pinakothek in 2002. Individual works by Twombly are inspired by T. S. Elliot’s “The Waste Land”— a favorite poem of Twombly’s that begins with a tribute to Munich:

 

“April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire […]
Summer surprised us, coming over the Starnbergersee
With a shower of rain; we stopped in the colonnade,
And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten,
And drank coffee, and talked for an hour. […]

T. S. Elliot, “The Waste Land,” 1922

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