Cy Twombly's Bacchus Series Leads Phillips New York Auction

A monumental 2005 Cy Twombly painting, Untitled, from his Bacchus series will be the highlight of Phillips' 20th Century & Contemporary Art Evening Sale in New York on November 15. Estimated at $35-45 million, the work is the second-largest from a 2005 group exhibited under the title Bacchus Psilax Mainomenos. The auction also features works by Yves Klein, Willem de Kooning, and Alexander Calder. The Bacchus series, begun in 2003 during the US invasion of Iraq and culminating in 2008 with a donation of three large works to Tate Modern, explores themes of intoxication and aggression. The painting's red lines allude to the Iliad, specifically Achilles dragging Hector's body around Troy. Twombly's market value has steadily increased over the past eight years.