Cy Twombly's Fifty Days at Iliam (1978) series is a remarkable ensemble of artworks that merge the ancient with the contemporary, embodying Twombly's fascination with classical mythology and history through a modernist lens. Initiated in the summer of 1977 and completed the following year, the series is based on Alexander Pope's 18th-century translation of Homer's Iliad, a pivotal epic poem that narrates the final weeks of the Trojan War. Twombly's series is a "painting in ten parts," where each canvas serves as a narrative segment of Homer's epic, showcasing Twombly's unique synthesis of words and images (Philadelphia Museum of Art).
The artworks are executed with oil, oil crayon, and graphite on canvas, with dimensions varying across the ten pieces. The series includes titles such as Shield of Achilles, Heroes of the Achaeans, Vengeance of Achilles, Achaeans in Battle, The Fire that Consumes All Before It, Shades of Achilles, Patroclus, and Hector, House of Priam, Ilians in Battle, Shades of Eternal Night, and Heroes of the Ilians, each delving into different facets of the Trojan War's narrative and characters (Philadelphia Museum of Art). One of the canvases, The Fire that Consumes All before It, measures approximately 9 feet 10 1/8 inches by 6 feet 3 5/8 inches, indicating the grand scale on which Twombly worked (Philadelphia Museum of Art).
Twombly's work begins "in medias res," a storytelling technique that plunges directly into the middle of the action, mirroring the oral tradition of Homer's time with a modern twist by integrating text and imagery. The series' title itself, Fifty Days at Iliam, creatively spells "Iliam" with an "A" to symbolize Achilles's pivotal role in the Trojan War, rather than the more commonly known "Ilium" for Troy. This choice underscores the series' deep engagement with its classical source material while highlighting Twombly's interpretative layer (SAS UPenn).
Within the series, paintings like Heroes of the Achaeans emphasize the debate among Greek heroes about who is the greatest among them, underscoring Achilles's indispensable role in the war effort. This piece, along with others, utilizes the names of gods and heroes, positioned in a hierarchical manner, to evoke the divine and mortal interplay that drives the epic's events. The absence of Zeus's name, interestingly, suggests his omnipresence and the overarching theme of fate (SAS UPenn).
Shades of Achilles, Patroclus, and Hector offers a poignant exploration of these three key characters, using color and form to convey their attributes and fates within the narrative. The painting captures the essence of Achilles's rage, Patroclus's compassion, and Hector's tragic end, symbolized through the choice of colors and the erasure of forms. It highlights the universal themes of heroism, sacrifice, and the inevitability of death, transcending the boundaries between the Trojans and Greeks (SAS UPenn).
Lastly, House of Priam brings to the fore the tragic consequences of war, seen through the lens of Priam's family and Cassandra's ignored prophecies. The smudges and erasures on the canvas speak to the silencing of voices and the devastating impact of conflict, questioning the glorification of war and heroism (SAS UPenn).
Twombly's Fifty Days at Iliam is more than a mere retelling of ancient tales; it is a profound meditation on human nature, the complexities of heroism, and the timeless resonance of myth. Through his innovative use of text, color, and form, Twombly invites viewers into a dialogue with history, art, and the enduring power of storytelling.