Cy Twombly's "Petals of Fire" (1989) is a striking example of his distinctive approach to painting, embodying elements of what has been described as "drawn poetry." This artwork, along with others, was featured in an exhibition at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, which highlighted Twombly's exuberant spontaneity, tempo, passion, and instinct. The exhibition showcased around 70 drawings and monotypes on paper, selected by Twombly himself, representing 50 years of his work. This period of his career is marked by a fusion of painting and sculpture, where Twombly is remembered for his unique style that blends scribbles, symbols, and scrawls approaching language, recalling the work of Jackson Pollock but distinguished by Twombly's use of aggressive signs that efface the painted surfaces​ (Tokyo Art Beat)​​ (National Gallery of Art)​.

By the early 1960s, Twombly had begun to incorporate written words into his artwork, especially references to poetry and myth, in a manner that was both revealing and obscuring. This practice may find its roots in Twombly's service in the U.S. Army, where he was assigned to cryptology, the study and deciphering of codes. Such incorporation of text adds layers of meaning to his works, often alluding to classical literature and mythology, and suggests a deep engagement with the symbolic potential of language and its intersection with visual form​ (National Gallery of Art)​.

"Petals of Fire" itself is not detailed extensively in the available sources, but understanding Twombly's broader artistic context and his methods provides insight into the work's possible themes and aesthetic values. His use of a wide range of materials, from traditional paint to found objects, and his exploration of color and form through both painting and sculpture, underline a career-long interest in blending various artistic practices to create complex, textured works that challenge easy interpretation.