We joke a bit here with the headline, gentle reader. But seriously, this painting by American artist Cy Twombly is among our favorite artworks in the permanent collection at the Broad Museum in Los Angeles. The artwork is called “The Rose (V)” and part of a series of the same title. The painting is simultaneously abstract and representative, a rare hybrid, literal and yet still very open to interpretation. Twombly’s textual scrawls and black paint drips give the painting a graffiti-like quality. Or like the throw-away ink noodling and marginalia notes in a notebook. The use of color is brilliant. The black blotches and dark rose forms seem like an obliteration of the revered flower, a symbol of beauty and romance. Seeing this painting in person, we’re always struck by the overall boldness of the image.
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