The Menil Collection in Houston is showcasing "The Gift of Drawing: Cy Twombly," an exhibition featuring 27 works selected from a massive donation of 121 pieces by the Cy Twombly Foundation. The show spans four decades of the artist's career, from the mid-1950s to 2005, highlighting his experimental approach to collage, painting on handmade paper, and drawing. Many of these works have never been previously exhibited in the United States, filling significant gaps in the museum's already extensive Twombly holdings.
This exhibition matters because it provides a deep dive into Twombly’s process of "de-skilling" and his fascination with chance, including works created in total darkness or influenced by his time as a military cryptologist. By showcasing these intimate drawings alongside his better-known large-scale paintings, the Menil reinforces its position as the premier center for Twombly scholarship in North America. The show also serves as a rebuttal to historical criticisms of his work as mere "scribbles," instead framing his output as a sophisticated effort to unlearn academic traditions and reach the primordial origins of art.