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1981
Volume 11, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 2052-3971
  • E-ISSN: 2052-398X

Abstract

This article explores Cy Twombly’s role as a mediator of Mediterranean culture, focusing on his transition from an American abstract expressionist idiom to a pictorial language influenced by classical mythology and Greco-Roman antiquity. Having moved to Rome in 1957, Twombly spent much of his life between two languages, two cultures and two continents. Though never fluent in Italian, his work was increasingly influenced by the Mediterranean culture, transforming American abstract expressionism into a visual vocabulary rich in colour, light and references to classical mythology and Greco-Roman antiquity. Twombly’s art thus functions as a translation from one language to another, with the artist serving as both a translator and mediator who conveys these cultural references. However, his unique and highly personal artistic language was difficult for many to interpret. French philosopher Roland Barthes played a key role in mediating Twombly’s work for a broader audience. Barthes, whose own creative language was akin to Twombly’s, helped elucidate the artist’s work in the late 1970s, offering important insights into its Mediterranean and Greco-Roman elements. This article examines how Twombly’s shift from one pictorial language to another reflects his role as a cultural mediator and the importance of Barthes’s interpretation in making Twombly’s work accessible to a wider public.

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2025-06-30
2026-04-17

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