Roy Lichtenstein

American, 1923–1997

130k followers

Roy Lichtenstein

Bio

American, 1923–1997

Followers
130k
Biography

When American Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein painted Look Mickey in 1961, it set the tone for his career. This primary-color portrait of the cartoon mouse introduced Lichtenstein’s detached and deadpan style at a time when introspective Abstract Expressionism reigned. Mining material from advertisements, comics, and the everyday, Lichtenstein brought what was then a great taboo—commercial art—into the gallery. He stressed the artificiality of his images by painting them as though they’d come from a commercial press, with the flat, single-color Ben-Day dots of the newspaper meticulously rendered by hand using paint and stencils. Later in his career, Lichtenstein extended his source material to art history, including the work of Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso, and experimented with three-dimensional works. Lichtenstein’s use of appropriated imagery has influenced artists such as Richard Prince, Jeff Koons, and Raymond Pettibon.

Related Categories
Career Highlights
Learn more about artist insights.
Blue chip status
Blue chip representation
Represented by internationally reputable galleries.
Auction
High auction record
$95m, Christie's, 2015
User
Solo show at a major institution
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and 11 more
Group
Group show at a major institution
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and 24 more
Institution
Collected by a major institution
Tate, and 3 more
Publication
Reviewed by a major art publication
Artforum, and 5 more
Fair
Included in a major biennial
Venice Biennale National Pavilion, and 4 more
Biography

When American Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein painted Look Mickey in 1961, it set the tone for his career. This primary-color portrait of the cartoon mouse introduced Lichtenstein’s detached and deadpan style at a time when introspective Abstract Expressionism reigned. Mining material from advertisements, comics, and the everyday, Lichtenstein brought what was then a great taboo—commercial art—into the gallery. He stressed the artificiality of his images by painting them as though they’d come from a commercial press, with the flat, single-color Ben-Day dots of the newspaper meticulously rendered by hand using paint and stencils. Later in his career, Lichtenstein extended his source material to art history, including the work of Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso, and experimented with three-dimensional works. Lichtenstein’s use of appropriated imagery has influenced artists such as Richard Prince, Jeff Koons, and Raymond Pettibon.

Career Highlights
Learn more about artist insights.
Blue chip status
Blue chip representation
Represented by internationally reputable galleries.
Auction
High auction record
$95m, Christie's, 2015
User
Solo show at a major institution
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and 11 more
Group
Group show at a major institution
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and 24 more
Institution
Collected by a major institution
Tate, and 3 more
Publication
Reviewed by a major art publication
Artforum, and 5 more
Fair
Included in a major biennial
Venice Biennale National Pavilion, and 4 more
Shows Featuring Roy Lichtenstein
Articles Featuring Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Lichtenstein’s Nudes and Brushstroke Paintings Are Becoming Collector Favorites
Jul 24th, 2020
Roy Lichtenstein’s Nudes and Brushstroke Paintings Are Becoming Collector Favorites
What Sold at Art Basel in Basel Online
Jun 23rd, 2020
What Sold at Art Basel in Basel Online
What Sold at FIAC
Oct 21st, 2019
What Sold at FIAC
Understanding 11 Great Artists through the Instructions They Left Behind
Apr 15th, 2019
Understanding 11 Great Artists through the Instructions They Left Behind
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