The first major exhibition of the American artist Cy Twombly for 15 years opens at Tate Modern this week to mark his 80th birthday.

The show is a triumph for the Tate's director, Sir Nicholas Serota, as the artist rarely participates in exhibitions of his work.

Sir Nicholas said today: "The fact that I've known him a long time means he was willing and ready to work with us. He doesn't make many shows. I think he's a bit astonished by it."

Twombly was among the generation of American artists with Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns who re-thought painting in the Fifties.

But while the others went towards Pop art, Twombly moved to Italy and was inspired by the classics.

Sir Nicholas admitted he was a difficult artist whose graffiti style could look ill-considered, adding: "But as you look at the work there are more and more recognisable elements. Not all art will reveal itself at first sight."

The exhibition includes more than 100 works and reunites several key series. The Four Seasons 1994-95, from the Tate collection, and The Four Seasons 1993-94 from the Museum of Modern Art in New York have not been seen together since the eight canvases left the artist's studio upon completion.

• Cy Twombly: Cycle And Seasons opens on Thursday and runs until 14 September. For more details go to www.tate.org.uk

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