Iii Notes From Salalah Note Ii by Cy Twombly
Iii Notes From Salalah Note Ii
Cy Twombly’s Poetic Abstraction in Iii Notes From Salalah Note Ii
This work from Cy Twombly’s Notes from Salalah series exemplifies the artist’s late-career synthesis of gestural abstraction and poetic inscription. Unlike his earlier, more aggressive scribbles, the Salalah works—inspired by a 2009 trip to Oman—adopt a looser, almost aquatic fluidity. The looping arcs and scattered marks here evoke both Arabic calligraphy and the rhythmic patterns of ocean waves, a duality that Twombly explored after immersing himself in the coastal landscapes of the Arabian Peninsula. As MoMA’s retrospective highlights, these late works mark a shift toward luminosity, where color and line dissolve into a meditative, almost musical composition.
The title’s repetition of “Notes” underscores Twombly’s treatment of the canvas as a score—each mark a notation in an abstract language. The pale ground, punctuated by bursts of red and blue, suggests parchment or weathered plaster, materials that recur in his practice as metaphors for historical erosion. Yet the vitality of the loops, executed in rapid, confident strokes, prevents the work from feeling archaic. Instead, it occupies a liminal space between ancient inscription and modernist spontaneity, a tension that defines Twombly’s most compelling pieces.
The Salalah Series: Twombly’s Dialogue with Place and Time
Created after Twombly’s 2009 visit to Oman, the Notes from Salalah series reflects the artist’s lifelong fascination with the Mediterranean and its cultural crosscurrents. Unlike his earlier Roman or Greek references, these works engage with Arabic visual traditions—particularly the fluidity of Islamic calligraphy—while retaining his signature abstract vocabulary. The Tate’s analysis notes how Twombly’s loops in this series mirror the cursive scripts of the Quran, though they resist direct translation. This ambiguity between writing and drawing became a hallmark of his final decade, where marks oscillate between symbol and pure gesture.
The Salalah works also extend Twombly’s dialogue with time. The faded ground and overlaying scrawls suggest palimpsests—layers of history partially erased yet still legible. In this piece, the red and blue accents function like punctuation in an unfinished sentence, their placement both deliberate and improvisational. Such dualities—control and chance, past and present—animate Twombly’s late output, where the act of marking becomes a meditation on permanence and decay.
Twombly’s Salalah series transforms the canvas into a cartographic space, where each loop plots a coordinate between memory and the immediate gesture—never quite a map, never quite a poem.
Gesture and Ground: The Making of a Twombly
Composition: The Choreography of Marks
The looping forms in Iii Notes From Salalah Note Ii adhere to an internal rhythm, their repetition creating a visual cadence across the canvas. Twombly often worked on the floor, allowing gravity to influence the arc of his wrist. Here, the clusters of loops in the upper-right quadrant counterbalance the sparser lower-left, generating a dynamic tension. The composition avoids symmetry yet feels resolved, a quality Twombly achieved by iteratively adding and subtracting marks until the canvas reached what he called “a state of grace.”
Materiality: Surface as History
The pale, almost chalky ground serves as both substrate and participant in the work. Twombly frequently primed his canvases with gesso mixed with wax or marble dust, creating a surface that absorbed and resisted paint in equal measure. In this piece, the ground’s texture interacts with the overlaid crayon or pencil marks, causing some lines to bleed while others remain crisp. The red and blue accents—likely applied with oil stick—sit atop the loops like annotations, their opacity varying as if weathered by time. Such material choices reinforce the work’s temporal themes, where every mark bears the trace of its application.
Own This Evocative Twombly Composition
Gallery framed in a slim black profile with UV-protective acrylic glazing. Free worldwide shipping on all orders—no minimum.
Add to Cart — $24999Curating Iii Notes From Salalah Note Ii in Your Space
This print’s 30×40 cm dimensions and restrained palette make it versatile for both modern and traditional interiors. The looping gestures read as abstract calligraphy, pairing well with minimalist furnishings in neutral tones—think linen sofas, light oak tables, or concrete surfaces. For a bolder contrast, hang it against a deep navy or forest-green wall to amplify the red and blue accents. In a home library or study, the work’s script-like marks resonate with books and manuscripts, while its open composition prevents visual clutter. Avoid overly busy walls; let the print’s rhythmic lines anchor the space. Ideal viewing height centers the midpoint of the frame at eye level, about 145 cm from the floor.
What frame and materials are included?
Each print arrives in a slim black gallery frame with UV-blocking acrylic glazing to prevent fading. The frame is crafted from solid wood with a matte finish, ready to hang with pre-installed hardware. No additional assembly is required.
Where do you ship, and how long does delivery take?
We offer free worldwide shipping to all countries, with no order minimum. Production typically takes 2–3 business days, followed by 5–10 business days for delivery via tracked courier. Remote areas may require additional time.
How archival is the print? Will the colors fade over time?
Prints are produced on 300 gsm cotton rag paper using pigment-based inks rated for 100+ years under normal lighting conditions. The UV-protective acrylic glazing further shields the artwork from discoloration, ensuring longevity without compromising clarity.
What is your return policy?
We accept returns within 30 days of delivery for a full refund, provided the print and frame are in original condition. Return shipping is free for defective or damaged items; otherwise, the customer covers return costs. No restocking fees apply.
Sources & Further Reading
- MoMA. "Cy Twombly: A Retrospective." The Museum of Modern Art, 1994.
- Tate. "Cy Twombly." Tate Modern, 2008.
- The Art Story. "Cy Twombly: American Painter and Sculptor." The Art Story Foundation, 2023.
More Works by Cy Twombly
Explore Twombly’s diverse approaches to abstraction, from mythological cycles to pure gestural energy.
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Add to Cart — $24999