Cy Twombly

The title Lepanto refers to an important historical event. In 1571 events culminated in a devastating sea battle in the Gulf of Patras, during the course of which the united fleets of Venice, Spain, and the Pope (the Holy League) ferreted the Turkish fleet out of its winter quarters and destroyed it on a single day in October. Even though more than 8,000 of its soldiers alone died that day, with this victory the Christian alliance seemed to have achieved the decisive turning point in Europes struggle against the expansion of the Ottoman Empire.

The twelve paintings do not, of course, narrate this history directly, but rather cast their spell on the viewer initially through the eruption of brilliant colors, the concentration and splintering of forms. Even before the title reminds us of the historical event, we perceive the cycle as a magnificent wall decoration in the tradition of Henri Matisse or Claude Monet.

Painted for the 2001 Venice Biennale by Cy Twombly with acrylic colors, wax crayon and graphite on canvas.

The order of the pictures in this vid alternates in each case a whole picture and a detail of the picture before.