About the artwork
Brushstrokes (1967) is one of Roy Lichtenstein's most emblematic works, produced at a key moment in his "brushstroke" series. True to his visual language - Ben-Day screens, bold flat colors and sharp contours - Lichtenstein here hijacks the painter's expressive gesture to turn it into a graphic, perfectly mastered image. Originally conceived as a poster for the Pasadena Art Museum, this lithograph revisits Abstract Expressionism with humor and distance, reducing the painterly gesture to a stylized, almost industrial motif. The sinuous red, black and yellow shapes create a powerful movement, while the distorted typography is dynamically integrated into the visual flow. This work is a major example of how Pop Art unites modern visual culture, graphic design and painting.
Expert opinion
This lithograph is highly sought-after due to its early date (1967), its historical link with the Pasadena Art Museum exhibition and its inclusion in the famous Brushstroke series, one of the most important bodies of work in Lichtenstein's oeuvre. Demand for works from the Brushstroke series remains constant, underpinned by their historical importance and their representativeness in Pop Art, and this is a particularly attractive piece for collectors wishing to acquire an iconic Lichtenstein lithograph, representative of his universe and Pop aesthetic.
About the artist
Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) is one of the leading figures of American Pop Art. After classical training at the Beaux-Arts and a brief academic career, he exploded onto the art scene in the early 1960s with canvases inspired by advertising, comic strips and popular culture. His style is immediately recognizable: systematic use of the Benday grid, primary colors and ironic treatment of popular images. Lichtenstein seeks to question the boundary between "noble art" and mass culture, blurring the traditional hierarchies of art history. Throughout his career, he also worked on other classical genres (nudes, landscapes, still lifes), which he hijacked with the same graphic treatment, creating a body of work that was both coherent and critical. Roy Lichtenstein has had major exhibitions throughout his career, including two major retrospectives at the Guggenheim in 1969 and 1993, and one at the Centre Pompidou in 2013.
Additional info
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