Removing classical art from its pedestal: Cy Twombly, Yannis Kounellis and Antiquity

My research project at the CHS in Spring 2026 focused on the work of the American artist Cy Twombly and the Greek artist Yannis Kounellis. Its aim was to critically examine how both artists drew from Greco-Roman antiquity to forge new artistic expressions during the post-war era, challenging conventional understandings of classical reception in twentieth-century art.

During my stay in Washington, I was first and foremost offered ideal working conditions that enabled me to concentrate fully on a comparative analysis of the two artists’ work and to investigate the different ways in which they engaged with antiquity. This allowed me to identify their distinct yet complementary approaches to the classical world and to advance my central argument: rather than aspiring to imitate a “glorious” past, both artists fundamentally break with it by removing classical art from its traditional pedestal.

Over the course of my fellowship, I was able to cover an extensive body of scholarship on the artists themselves, classical reception, and classical sources. The CHS library, with its exceptional holdings in classical studies and its comprehensive collections covering every aspect of my research—from classical art and reception studies to ancient authors—provided an invaluable foundation for my work. The dedicated support of the CHS librarians, together with materials made available through Harvard University via scanning services, my research trip to the Harvard Fine Arts Library in Boston, and the collections of the National Gallery of Art Library, enabled me to assemble a substantial body of references and documentation. This material has already significantly advanced my research and will continue to serve as an essential resource as I gradually incorporate it into the project.

Further research at the Library of Congress, together with the invaluable assistance of the specialist librarian in the Italian Studies division, enabled me to explore in depth the political and historical contexts of Rome during the 1950s and 1960s. This constitutes a fundamental dimension of my research, as I examine how historical factors, including the legacy of Fascism in Rome and the political rhetoric of the Cold War, influenced representations of antiquity in the work of Kounellis and Twombly. Equally important, the lasting professional relationships I established with the Library of Congress specialists will continue to provide valuable expertise and research support beyond my residency.

Another fundamental aspect of my fellowship was the research I conducted at the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art. The archives provided valuable documentation on exhibitions of both artists in the United States, as well as records from Twombly’s early American galleries, offering important primary material that has significantly enriched my research.

These fundamental material resources, however, would not have been sufficient without the opportunity to pursue my research directly in front of the works themselves. Developing my study in situ was an essential component of my methodology, and Washington, DC, offered exceptional conditions for this. The collections of the National Gallery of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum, and, above all, the Glenstone Museum allowed me to study firsthand an important body of works by Cy Twombly, alongside those of his contemporaries. Although Kounellis is less extensively represented, these collections enabled me to reconsider both artists within the broader artistic landscape of their generation, comparing their respective engagements with classical antiquity to those of both American and European artists of the same period.

This in situ research was further enriched by research trips to New York, Philadelphia, and Houston, where I studied works in museums such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Menil Collection. Encountering for the first time key works by the artists of my corpus, as well as revisiting others from a new perspective, enabled me to refine several of my interpretations, reconsider earlier arguments, and revise aspects of my analysis.

My research stay in Houston was of particular importance. I was invited to present a lecture on Cy Twombly to the Menil Collection’s community of curators, scholars, collectors, and museum professionals, where I had the opportunity to discuss both my current research project and my forthcoming monograph on the artist. During this stay, I also studied in depth the exceptional Twombly holdings at the Menil Collection, including the Cy Twombly Gallery, which enabled me to reassess previous analyses of these works. In addition, the museum generously granted me access to works held in storage, notably a recent gift of drawings from the Cy Twombly Foundation that had not yet been publicly exhibited. Time spent in the Menil Archives also provided access to further unpublished documentation that will contribute significantly to the next stages of my research.

An equally important dimension of my fellowship was the opportunity to discuss my research within the CHS intellectual community. Daily exchanges with the other fellows provided an exceptional environment in which to share the challenges of ongoing research, test new ideas, and receive valuable feedback on my project. These interactions, together with the Fellows’ Talks and the numerous lectures and activities organized by the CHS, enabled me to present and refine aspects of my research while becoming acquainted with the work of fellow scholars. They also introduced me to a broader network of specialists connected to my research interests, including former CHS fellows, visiting scholars, and specialists in classical reception. These connections laid the foundations for future collaborations and lasting professional relationships.

Beyond the CHS, I further expanded this network during my research trip to Harvard University, where I met with specialists from both the Departments of Classics and History of Art and Architecture. The proximity of Washington to New York and Princeton also enabled me to reconnect with colleagues, curators, and scholars currently working on Cy Twombly, creating new opportunities for future collaborations and contributing to the long-term development of my research.

Finally, the months of research carried out during my fellowship have culminated in the completion of an article, now in the final stages of preparation for publication. Bringing together the research undertaken throughout my residency and the conclusions that gradually emerged from it, the article examines how Cy Twombly and Yannis Kounellis employed antiquity both as a subject and as a conceptual framework, demonstrating how their respective engagements with the classical past contributed to the broader post-war rethinking of classical tradition.