Studio International

Published 02/09/2002

A stroke of curatorial genius (or plain good housekeeping) has led to the Edinburgh Festival exhibition of the work of Cy Twombly being established at Inverleith House in the Edinburgh Royal Botanical Gardens. Since these paintings represent the first major show of the work of Twombly (b. Virginia, l928) since l987, and since the paintings are devoted to the floral beauty of bulbs and perennials, the venue is utterly appropriate. Twombly too, has selected the works, seeking to represent only the wealth and diversity of nature. But he departs from the flora in the first and last of the rooms, especially beautiful are the four sunset images, which close the exhibition. Aged 75, Twombly last year won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Biennale. There is something very moving in this subject material by an artist in the evening of his own life. The works span some twenty years of activity, and yet we see here the artist still producing to the best of his power.