Cy Twombly's early work in the 1950s reveals a fascinating journey through the exploration of Dadaist and Surrealist influences, alongside a deep engagement with abstract expressionism and the emergent New York School. His initial foray into the art world was marked by his education and early exhibitions, which provided a foundation for his distinctive style that would evolve over the decades.

Twombly's artistic training began formally at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where he was exposed to Dadaist and Surrealist artists like Kurt Schwitters and Alberto Giacometti. This exposure influenced his early work, steering him towards abstraction and away from the figurative. Moving to New York in 1950 to study at the Art Students League, Twombly was immersed in a vibrant artistic community, where he met influential figures like Robert Rauschenberg. The city's gallery exhibitions, showcasing artists like Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock, and Robert Motherwell, further shaped Twombly's aesthetic inclinations towards abstract expressionism​ (The Art Story)​.

A significant turning point in Twombly's career was the grant he received from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in 1952, allowing him to travel extensively through North Africa, Spain, Italy, and France with Rauschenberg. This period was crucial for Twombly's development, deepening his interest in primitive art, ritual, and the psychoanalytic concept of the fetish. His experiences in Europe and Africa enriched his visual vocabulary, laying the groundwork for his later work​ (Wikipedia)​​ (The Art Story)​.

Upon returning to the United States, Twombly's service as a cryptographer in the U.S. Army further influenced his artistic direction, introducing elements of coded language and secrecy into his work. After his service, Twombly continued to evolve his style in New York, becoming a significant figure among the artists of the New York School. His work during this time began to eschew figurative aspects in favor of a more simplified form of abstraction, incorporating gestural drawing and the use of bitumen to create tactile, scarred surfaces​ (Wikipedia)​.

By the late 1950s, Twombly's move to Italy marked a new chapter in his life and work. Marrying Italian artist Tatiana Franchetti and settling in Rome allowed him to further explore classical themes and incorporate a broader range of influences into his art. The Mediterranean light and landscape, combined with the rich tapestry of Greco-Roman culture, imbued his work with a new vitality and depth​ (Wikipedia)​.

Twombly's early work and the diverse influences he absorbed during the 1950s laid the foundation for a career that would continually intertwine the primitive with the classical, the abstract with the textual, and the personal with the universal. His unique ability to synthesize these varied sources of inspiration into a coherent artistic vision has solidified his place as one of the most intriguing artists of the 20th century.