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Now More Than Ever, Get Thee To The Cy Twombly Room At PMA

For years, one of our top secret most loved and wonderful and inspiring places in the city has been the room in the Philadelphia Museum of Art where they keep Fifty Days at Iliam, Cy Twombly‘s “painting in ten parts” based on Alexander Pope’s translation of Homer’s Iliad. Twombly, of course, was a giant of the Abstract Expressionism movement and died yesterday in Rome at the age of 83. Fifty Days at Iliam is a big, noisy work, and more than once, we’ve witnessed people walk into the room and walk right out, as if they’d mistakenly wandered into some avant-noise concert. But we’ve also found calm and inspiration here, often at the same time. Rest in peace, Twombly: We shall keep you here proudly and wait for the right people to wander back in, over and over.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 6th, 2011 at 2:32 pm.

  • chuck63

    One of the city’s secret treasures. I love that room.

  • schmapty

    It’s no Pearl Jam night at RJ McPaddy-noodle’s but it’s alright.

  • mdschill

    Wear Cy Twombly gear for discounts

  • LB

    Ajax

  • Allan Smithee

    Every time I’ve gone to the Twombly Room, there are always a couple of other people there talking to the Security Guard. After a few minutes, their talk always turns to the quality of the art. And jokes.

    The Guard though usually just kind of shrugs his shoulders after listening to their questions re: crayons & kid’s art.

    Personally, I’ve always sorta thought Twombly was the flipside of (Macho) Abstract Expressionism… Maybe a second generation/Male version of Lee Krasner as a comparison.