Anabasis - Cy Twombly

A 1983 abstract composition by Cy Twombly, featuring gestural lines and classical references in a minimalist, expressive style.

Anabasis, created in 1983, is a characteristic example of Cy Twombly's mature graphic style. The work features a sparse, open composition on a neutral ground, typical of the artist's focus on the physical act of mark-making. Twombly employs a combination of graphite, crayon, and oil paint to construct a visual language that balances spontaneity with deliberate structure. The central forms suggest a chariot or a vessel, rendered through loose, gestural lines that evoke movement rather than precise representation.

The title, Anabasis, refers to the Greek term for a march or journey, often associated with Xenophon's account of the retreat of the Ten Thousand. Twombly frequently drew upon classical literature and mythology, using these references as a conceptual framework for his abstract compositions. The marks in this piece are varied: some are thin and tentative, while others are heavy, dark, and energetic. The use of colour is restrained, limited to muted tones of black, grey, and a singular, striking orange-red that draws the eye across the surface.

Twombly's approach to the surface of the paper is direct. He allows the materials to retain their raw quality, with visible smudges and overlapping lines that document the process of creation. This work avoids the traditional constraints of figurative drawing, opting instead for a shorthand of signs and symbols. The composition is deliberately off-centre, creating a sense of imbalance that mirrors the themes of travel and displacement suggested by the title. By stripping away unnecessary detail, Twombly invites the viewer to engage with the rhythm of the lines and the texture of the media. This print captures the immediacy of the original, preserving the subtle nuances of the artist's hand and the specific character of the materials used in the 1983 composition.