1953–1954
Serves in the US Army as a cryptographer
After his return from Europe Twombly serves in the US Army as a cryptographer in Washington, D.C., and often travels to New York on leave; the work with ciphers will leave a distinct mark on his artistic style.
1953–1957
Shows at the Stable Gallery
From 1953 to 1957 Twombly’s work is shown at the Stable Gallery; he then moves to the Leo Castelli Gallery and later exhibits with the Gagosian Gallery.
1955–1956
Teaches at a junior college in Buena Vista
In 1955–1956 Twombly teaches at the Southern Seminary and Junior College in Buena Vista, Virginia (now Southern Virginia University); in the summer vacations he travels to New York to paint in his apartment on Williams Street.
1955–1959
New York: a shared studio with Rauschenberg and Johns’s circle
From 1955 to 1959 Twombly works in New York, shares a studio with Rauschenberg and becomes a prominent figure in a group of artists that includes Jasper Johns. Exposure to the emerging New York School purges the figurative aspects from his work, and a fascination with tribal art leads him to gestural drawing — thin white lines on a dark canvas that seem scratched into the surface.
1957
Moves to Rome and meets Tatiana Franchetti
Twombly makes Rome his primary city and there meets the Italian artist Tatiana Franchetti, sister of his patron Baron Giorgio Franchetti. In Italy he turns to large formats and a more literal use of text and numbers, drawing inspiration from poetry, mythology and history.