Roy Lichtenstein is one of the principal figures of the American Pop art movement, along with Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Claes Oldenburg and Robert Rauschenberg.
Drawing inspiration from comic strips, Lichtenstein appropriated techniques commercial printing in his paintings, introducing a vernacular sensibility to the visual landscape of contemporary art. He employed visual elements such as the halftone dots that comprise a printed image, and a comic-inspired use of primary colors gave his paintings their signature “Pop” palette.
Born and raised in New York City, Lichtenstein enjoyed Manhattan’s myriad cultural offerings and comic books in equal measure. He began painting seriously as a teenager, studying watercolor painting at the Parsons School of Design in the late 1930s, and later at the Art Students League, where he worked with American realist painter Reginald Marsh. He began his undergraduate education at Ohio State University in 1940, and after a three-year stint in the United States Army during World War II, he completed his bachelor’s degree and then his master’s in fine arts. The roots of Lichtenstein’s interest in the convergence of high art and popular culture are evident even in his early years in Cleveland, where in the late 1940s, he taught at Ohio State, designed window displays for a department store and painted his own pieces.
Working at the height of the Abstract Expressionist movement in the 1950s, Lichtenstein deliberately eschewed the sort of painting that was held in high esteem by the art world and chose instead to explore the visual world of print advertising and comics. This gesture of recontextualizing a lowbrow image by importing it into a fine-art context would become a trademark of Lichtenstein’s artistic style, as well as a vehicle for his critique of the concept of good taste. His 1963 painting Whaam! confronts the viewer with an impact scene from a 1962-era issue of DC Comics’ All American Men of War. Isolated from its larger context, this image combines the playful lettering and brightly colored illustration of the original comic with a darker message about military conflict at the height of the Cold War. Crying Girl from the same year featured another of Lichtenstein’s motifs — a woman in distress, depicted with a mixture of drama and deadpan humor. His work gained a wider audience by creating a comic-inspired mural for the New York State Pavilion of the 1964 World's Fair, he went on to be represented by legendary New York gallerist Leo Castelli for 30 years.
In the 1970s and ’80s, Lichtenstein experimented with abstraction and began exploring basic elements of painting, as in this 1989 work Brushstroke Contest. In addition to paintings in which the brushstroke itself became the central subject, in 1984 he created a large-scale sculpture called Brushstrokes in Flight for the Port Columbus International Airport in Ohio. Still Life with Windmill from 1974 and the triptych Cow Going Abstract from 1982 both demonstrate a break from his earlier works where the subjects were derived from existing imagery. Here, Lichtenstein paints subjects more in line with the norms of art history — a pastoral scene and a still life — but he has translated their compositions into his signature graphic style, in which visual elements of printed comics are still a defining feature.
Lichtenstein’s work is represented in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, Tate Modern, and many others. He was awarded National Medal of Arts in 1995, two years before he passed away.
Find a collection of Roy Lichtenstein prints, drawings and more on 1stDibs.
Roy Lichtenstein "Composition Tapestry" Modern Wool Tapestry
By Roy Lichtenstein
Located in New York, NY
-From an edition of 100 -Edited by Société Sedcome Éditions, Paris -One of the lesser-known yet fascinating aspects of Lichtenstein’s career was his venture into textile art. Beginni...
Wool
Mid Century Modern Colorful Wool Tapestry, Spain, Circa 1970
Located in Barcelona, ES
Mid Century Modern Colorful Tapestry, circa 1970 By unknown Artist In original condition, with minor wear consistent of age and use, preserving a...
Wool
Le Corbusier Wool Tapestry, Mid-Century Modern, Italy
By Le Corbusier
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Le Corbusier Tapis La Main Ouverte For Cassina Inspired by Le Poème de l’Angle Droit, the art book published in only 250 exemplars that contains the vision of Le Corbusier on archit...
Wool
$687Sale Price|20% Off
H 51.19 in W 41.34 in D 2.37 in
Mid Century Modern Colorful Wool Tapestry, 130 x 105 cm, Spain
Located in Barcelona, ES
Mid Century Modern Colorful Tapestry, circa 1970 By unknown Artist In original condition, with minor wear consistent of age and use, preserv...
Wool
$1,900
H 50 in W 48 in D 0.5 in
Modern Colorful Geometric Fiber Art Wool Tapestry Wall Hanging by Helga Berry
Located in Troy, MI
Handwoven tapestry by Helga Berry "Ten Squared Minus One" February 1985 Vibrant colorful textile with an abstract arrangement of architectural forms rendered in richly saturated col...
Wool
Large 1970s Modern Handwoven Wool Tapestry, Abstract Design, Vintage
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Large 1970’s Modern handwoven wool abstract tapestry art. Can be hung on a rod or frame. In good original vintage configuration with minor wear consistent with age. Measurements...
Wool
$6,322Sale Price|20% Off
H 98.04 in W 62.21 in D 0.48 in
1870 Antique French Tapestry Wool & Silk Tapestry Beige Handmade Tapestry
Located in New York, NY
This is a very fine Authentic Antique French Tapestry in Wool & Silk. This piece is truly a magnificent work of art featuring a lady feeding birds while a dog watches nearby. It ...
Silk
$1,700
H 45 in W 32 in D 0.25 in
Vintage Mid-Century Modern Handwoven Tapestry, Abstract Wool Art, 32" x 45"
Located in Barrington, IL
This vintage Mid-Century Modern handwoven tapestry is a stunning example of textile art from the mid-1900s, offering both artistic value and design versatility. Featuring a bold abstract composition, the piece is skillfully woven in a dynamic palette of red, yellow, pink, brown, and tan, capturing the vibrant spirit of the era. The intricate craftsmanship and rich colors bring warmth and texture to any space, making it an ideal focal point for modern, eclectic, or retro-inspired interiors. Whether displayed in a living room, study, or entryway, this tapestry adds a distinctive artistic presence and celebrates the timeless appeal of mid-century textile art. Dimensions: 32” x 45” x .25” Date of Manufacture: 3rd Quarter of the 1900s Place of Origin: Scandinavia Material: wool, cotton Condition: Excellent The Persian Knot Gallery, SKU: 2204 Mid-Century Modern tapestry, vintage wall art, handwoven tapestry, abstract textile art, mid-century textile, colorful wall tapestry, retro wall hanging, vintage woven art, mid-century home decor, vintage abstract art, 1950s tapestry, 1960s wall art, woven wall decor, collectible textile art, handmade vintage tapestry, red yellow pink brown tapestry, modernist wall art, mid century design tapestry, Vintage Tapestry Wall Art, Vintage Woven Wall Art, Scandinavian Wall Art, Modern Wall Art, Fabric Wall Art, Handwoven Textiles, Loom Art, Textile Art on the Wall, Modernist Tapestry, Mid Century Wall Tapestry...
Wool, Cotton
Ramses Wissa Wassef wall wool tapestry , signed Label
By Ramses Wissa Wassef Workshop
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very nice and colorful hand woven tapestry. This beautiful sample of Egyptian weaving bears what we read artist Karina Ali and done under direction of Sophie Habib Gorgi , according...
Wool
$595Sale Price|20% Off
H 33.86 in W 27.96 in D 1.97 in
Mid Century Modern Colorful Wool Tapestry, Spain, Circa 1970
Located in Barcelona, ES
Mid Century Modern Colorful Tapestry, circa 1970 By unknown Artist In original condition, with minor wear consistent of age and use, preserv...
Wool
« Jungle » wool tapestry
Located in Isle Sur Sorgue, FR
Large French vintage « jungle » wool tapestry. Very decorative with bright colours, flowers and exotic birds decors. Numbered and guarantee certificate at the back.
Wool
$6,417Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 98.4 in Dm 57 in
Contemporary Organic Modern Moroccan Handspun Wool Wall Tapestry
Located in Marseille, FR
- Hand-spun and hand-woven wool tapestry - 2020 Dimensions: 250 H x 145 W CM 98.4 H x 57 W IN MADE IN COLLABORATION WITH ODU WORKS EDITION OF 3 + 1 ARTIST’S PROOF WOOD FRAME BY EL...
Wool
$2,521
H 29.53 in W 47.25 in D 0.4 in
Plant Life Needlepoint Tapestry, Signed, Mid-Century Modern, Wool
Located in Beirut, LB
Original Mid-Century Modern needlepoint tapestry entitled “Plant Life”, handstitched, and signed by the artist "P.Rey" It is made in brilliant bold colors which are nicely shaded, w...
Wool