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Saturday, January 27, 2018

"Leo," 1998 by Richard Serra


Leo, 1998; Etching on Somerset Textured paper; Numbered LXI/XC, signed Richard Serra, and dated '98 lower right; Published by Noblet Serigraphie, Inc., New York; Size - Sheet 27 x 37"; Unframed.


"Black is a property, not a quality... In terms of weight, black is heavier, creates a larger volume, holds itself in a more compressed field." - Richard Serra

Richard Serra (b. 1938) is an American minimalist who was also involved in the Process Art Movement. He is also a video artist but is most known for his large scale sculpture assemblies of sheet metal and his paintings, prints, and drawings that are composed of large black shapes. The choice to work in black, which Serra considers to be a non-color, allows for the absorptive darkness to force the space around the black forms to expand or contract. For Serra, black actually conveys the properties of weight and mass. Serra has stated, "Since black is the densest color material, it absorbs and dissipates light to a maximum and thereby changes the artificial as well as the natural light in a given room. A black shape can hold its space and place in relation to a larger volume and alter the mass of that volume readily." He often employees the use of texture to his works, which emulates the rough tactility akin to that of tree bark. The rich dense blacks also convey a sense of gravity, allowing the viewer to get lost deep within the forms.

Leo Castelli (1907-1999) was an Italian-American art dealer whose New York Gallery showcased contemporary art for five decades. Among the art movements showed were Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Neo-Dada, Pop Art, Op Art, Color Field, Hard-edge painting, Lyrical Abstraction, Minimal Art , Conceptual Art, and Neo-expressionism. He gave Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, and Frank Stella their first one man shows. Castelli had in his stable the following historically significant artists: Larry Poons, Lee Bontecou, James Rosenquist, Andy Warhol, Robert Morris, Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, Cy Twombly, Ronald Davis, Ed Ruscha, Richard Serra, Bruce Nauman, and Joseph Kosuth.

"Leo," 1998 was one of nine prints that were commissioned by Leo Castelli's son Jean-Christophe to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Leo Castelli Gallery and as a ninetieth birthday present for his father. The artists chosen to participate all were strongly associated with the Castelli Gallery at some point in their career and included: Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Joseph Kosuth, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Serra, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Edward Ruscha, and Bruce Nauman. The edition size of the resulting portfolio of nine prints corresponded to Leo Castelli's birthday in 1997 when he turned 90 years old. The first two portfolios were presented to Leo Castelli, with the first being a birthday gift and the second being displayed in the Castelli Gallery. The vast majority of the other 88 sets were given by Jean-Christophe to major museums and institutions around the world; making individual prints from the portfolios extremely rare.


Close up detail of "Leo," 1998 by Richard Serra. 


Close up of the edition number, R. Serra signature, and date. 

"Leo," is a large and extremely well executed work of art. It has as it's central focus a large textured black form that has almost engulfed what is left of the small amount of white ground above and to the right. A rare and exceptionally well composed work by Richard Serra, and a great addition to any art collection.

Friday, January 26, 2018

"Cunningham Relief," 1974 by Robert Rauschenberg


Cunningham Relief, 1974; Embossing with hand rubbed half-tone on Arches Buff paper; Signed Rauschenberg, numbered 9/100, and dated 74 lower right; Embossed UNTITLED PRESS lower left; Co-published by Multiples Inc. and Castelli Graphics, New York; Size - Sheet: 30 x 22 1/4"; Unframed.


"Understanding is a form of blindness. Good art, I think, can never be understood." - Robert Rauschenberg

Milton Ernest "Robert" Rauschenberg (1925-2008) was an American painter and graphic artist whose early works foreshadowed the emerging Pop Art movement. He is most associated with his artworks that he called "Combines," which were created from non-traditional materials and objects but were integrated into new and innovative combinations. The "Combines" also integrated both painting and sculpture into a single work of art. Rauschenberg also worked in photography, printmaking, papermaking, and performance art. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1993 and his artwork is shown and collected by all of the world's greatest museums. In 2010, one of his "Combines" entitled "Studio Painting" (1960-61) was sold by Michael Crichton through Christie's, New York auction house for $11 million.

Merce Philip Cunningham was an American dancer and choreographer was a leader in field for over 50 years. He is also remembered for his collaboration with other artists in other mediums including: John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg Bruce Nauman, Jasper Johns, and Andy Warhol.

Rauschenberg's collaborative relationship with Merce Cunningham began in 1952, when they both participated in an performance art piece (Theater Piece No. 1) that was organized by composer John Cage at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. In 1954 Rauschenberg officially began working with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, and over the next decade contributed to over twenty performances providing lighting and set/costume designs. Cunningham was interested in having Rauschenberg utilize found objects for the creation of the sets and costumes, thereby integrating the everyday into the dance performance. Their artistic relationship lasted for over six decades, with Rauschenberg describing the collaboration with Cunningham as founded on a "carte-blanche trust," attesting to the spirit of creative independence and their shared mutual respect.


Close up of the embossed dancers.


Close up of the Rauschenberg signature, edition number, and date. 


Close up of the embossed UNTITLED PRESS lower left.

"Cunningham Relief," is an extremely well executed work of art. It has as it's central focus a pair of dancers, with the female being balanced on the upper body of the male. There are four rows of dancers, created by embossing, that are arranged in rows both above and below the darker hand rubbed half-tone pair. The top row has a two pairs of dancers, the left pair bending down to touch the floor and the right pair lying down on the floor side by side and resting on the tips of their toes. The next row down has the half-tone balanced dancer pair and a walking figure to the left and four standing figures to the right. The third row consists of three smaller full figure dancers in different poses, but all with their arms outstretched and balancing on one foot. The last row is made up of four figures all seated in different positions on the floor, and a fifth larger dancer who has jumped slightly off the floor. The print technique of embossing is so wonderful, as it creates the light shadow outline of dancers and figures, suggesting movements across a stage. The combination of embossing and half-tone results in a very balanced composition in both forms and light values. This work was initially published and sold in order to raise funds for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in New York. This is a beautiful original hand signed work of art by Robert Rauschenberg and a great addition to any art collection!

Saturday, January 20, 2018

"Caucus," 1997 by Robert Rauschenberg


Caucus, 1997; Lithograph on Arches paper; Signed Rauschenberg, numbered LXI/XC, and dated '97 lower center; Published by Noblet Serigraphie, Inc., New York; Size - Sheet 37 x 27"; Unframed.


"Understanding is a form of blindness. Good art, I think, can never be understood." - Robert Rauschenberg

Milton Ernest "Robert" Rauschenberg (1925-2008) was an American painter and graphic artist whose early works foreshadowed the emerging Pop Art movement. He is most associated with his artworks that he called "Combines," which were created from non-traditional materials and objects but were integrated into new and innovative combinations. The "Combines" also integrated both painting and sculpture into a single work of art. Rauschenberg also worked in photography, printmaking, papermaking, and performance art. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1993 and his artwork is shown and collected by all of the world's greatest museums. In 2010, one of his "Combines" entitled "Studio Painting" (1960-61) was sold by Michael Crichton through Christie's, New York auction house for $11 million.

Leo Castelli (1907-1999) was an Italian-American art dealer whose New York Gallery showcased contemporary art for five decades. Among the art movements showed were Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Neo-Dada, Pop Art, Op Art, Color Field, Hard-edge painting, Lyrical Abstraction, Minimal Art , Conceptual Art, and Neo-expressionism. He gave Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, and Frank Stella their first one man shows. Castelli had in his stable the following historically significant artists: Larry Poons, Lee Bontecou, James Rosenquist, Andy Warhol, Robert Morris, Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, Cy Twombly, Ronald Davis, Ed Ruscha, Richard Serra, Bruce Nauman, and Joseph Kosuth.

"Caucus," 1997 was one of nine prints that were commissioned by Leo Castelli's son Jean-Christophe to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Leo Castelli Gallery and as a ninetieth birthday present for his father. The artists chosen to participate all were strongly associated with the Castelli Gallery at some point in their career and included: Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Joseph Kosuth, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Serra, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Edward Ruscha, and Bruce Nauman. The edition size of the resulting portfolio of nine prints corresponded to Leo Castelli's birthday in 1997 when he turned 90 years old. The first two portfolios were presented to Leo Castelli, with the first being a birthday gift and the second being displayed in the Castelli Gallery. The vast majority of the other 88 sets were given by Jean-Christophe to major museums and institutions around the world; making individual prints from the portfolios extremely rare.


Close up of the Rauschenberg signature, edition number, and date.

"Caucus," is a large and extremely well executed work of art. It has as it's central focus a Bald Eagle, a reference to Leo Castelli being a champion of the new emerging American art movements. Merriam-Webster's first definition of the word "caucus" is a political reference, however the secondary definition is "a group of people united to promote an agreed-upon cause." Undoubtedly the later definition is the one Rauschenberg was ascribing to the print. With "Caucus," Rauschenberg pays homage to Castelli's decisive role and epicenter of a group of artists, art dealers, museums, and critics who together tipped the balance of power and prestige in the art world away from Europe to America in the 1960's and beyond. A rare and exceptionally well composed work by Robert Rauschenberg, and a great addition to any art collection.

Friday, January 19, 2018

"The Flame Still Dances on Leo's Book," 1997 by James Rosenquist


The Flame Still Dances on Leo's Book, 1997; Lithograph on Arches cover paper; Numbered LXI/XC and titled "The flame still dances on Leos book" lower left; Signed James Rosenquist and dated 1997 lower right; Published by Noblet Serigraphie, Inc., New York; Size - Sheet 37 x 27"; Unframed.


"I decided to make pictures of fragments, images that would spill off the canvas instead of recede in to it like a medicine cabinet. I wanted to find images that were in 'nether-nether-land': things that were a little out of style but hadn't reached the point of nostalgia." - James Rosenquist

The American artist James Rosenquist earned his living as a billboard painter from 1957-1960 and this is often sited as one of the artist's inspirations, as his former job relates to scale and size of some of his most famous works. Although Rosenquist is usually grouped in with the Pop Artists, he does not like this classification. He has said, "They [art critics] called me a Pop artist because I used recognizable imagery. The critics like to group people together. I didn't meet Andy Warhol until 1964. I did not really know Andy or Roy Lichtenstein that well. We all emerged separately." 

Rosenquist is known for taking fragmented and odd images and then combining, overlapping, and/or placing them in unusual orientations in order to create a visual story line. In many cases the original derivation of the image can not be determined, so that the viewer is left seeing familiar features of an object but not completely able to determine what the object was originally. It is this ability, to organize and then synthesize into new compositions that has made Rosenquist one of the greatest artists working today.

Leo Castelli (1907-1999) was an Italian-American art dealer whose New York Gallery showcased contemporary art for five decades. Among the art movements showed were Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Neo-Dada, Pop Art, Op Art, Color Field, Hard-edge painting, Lyrical Abstraction, Minimal Art , Conceptual Art, and Neo-expressionism. He gave Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, and Frank Stella their first one man shows. Castelli had in his stable the following historically significant artists: Larry Poons, Lee Bontecou, James Rosenquist, Andy Warhol, Robert Morris, Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, Cy Twombly, Ronald Davis, Ed Ruscha, Richard Serra, Bruce Nauman, and Joseph Kosuth.

"The Flame Still Dances on Leo's Book," 1997 was one of nine prints that were commissioned by Leo Castelli's son Jean-Christophe to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Leo Castelli Gallery and as a ninetieth birthday present for his father. The artists chosen to participate all were strongly associated with the Castelli Gallery at some point in their career and included: Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Joseph Kosuth, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Serra, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Edward Ruscha, and Bruce Nauman. The edition size of the resulting portfolio of nine prints corresponded to Leo Castelli's birthday in 1997 when he turned 90 years old. The first two portfolios were presented to Leo Castelli, with the first being a birthday gift and the second being displayed in the Castelli Gallery. The vast majority of the other 88 sets were given by Jean-Christophe to major museums and institutions around the world; making individual prints from the portfolios extremely rare.


Close up of the James Rosenquist signature and date. 


Close up of the edition number and title. 

"The Flame Still Dances on Leo's Book," is a large and extremely well executed work of art. It has as it's central focus an anthropomorphic flame, complete with long and wild smoke hair, that is dancing on the Book of Life of Leo Castelli. This work was created for the occasion of Leo Castelli's ninetieth birthday, so the book is Roman numeral dated XC for 90. A rare and exceptionally well composed work by James Rosenquist, and a great addition to any art collection.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

"Leo," 1997 by Jasper Johns


Leo, 1997; Etching on Hahnemuhle Copperplate paper; Numbered LXI/XC lower left and signed Jasper Johns and dated '97 lower right; Published by Noblet Serigraphie, Inc., New York; Size - Sheet 37 x 27"; Unframed.


"Take an object. Do something to it. Do something else to it" - Jasper Johns

Jasper Johns (b. 1930) is an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker who is associated with Abstract Expressionism, Neo-Dada, and Pop Art. The early artwork of the late 50's and early 60's were composed using pop culture imagery such as flags, maps, targets, and letters and numbers. The surface of the work is painterly and other media were often incorporated such as plaster relief, encaustic, and/or collage. The choice of popular culture iconography in which to launch a work eliminated the need for subject, and allowed for free and familiar associations. Johns was able to incorporate and present opposites, contradictions, paradoxes, and ironies that led back to the artistic principles of Marcel Duchamp and the DADA art movement. Jasper John's artwork is collected by all major world art museums and his most expensive painting "Flag," 1958 was sold by Jean-Christophe Castelli in 2010 to the billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen for a reported $110 million.


Close up of "Leo" by Jaster Johns.

Leo Castelli (1907-1999) was an Italian-American art dealer whose New York Gallery showcased contemporary art for five decades. Among the art movements showed were Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Neo-Dada, Pop Art, Op Art, Color Field, Hard-edge painting, Lyrical Abstraction, Minimal Art , Conceptual Art, and Neo-expressionism. He gave Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, and Frank Stella their first one man shows. Castelli had in his stable the following historically significant artists: Larry Poons, Lee Bontecou, James Rosenquist, Andy Warhol, Robert Morris, Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, Cy Twombly, Ronald Davis, Ed Ruscha, Richard Serra, Bruce Nauman, and Joseph Kosuth.

"Leo," 1997 was one of nine prints that were commissioned by Leo Castelli's son Jean-Christophe to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Leo Castelli Gallery and as a ninetieth birthday present for his father. The artists chosen to participate all were strongly associated with the Castelli Gallery at some point in their career and included: Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Joseph Kosuth, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Serra, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Edward Ruscha, and Bruce Nauman. The edition size of the resulting portfolio of nine prints corresponded to Leo Castelli's birthday in 1997 when he turned 90 years old. The first two portfolios were presented to Leo Castelli, with the first being a birthday gift and the second being displayed in the Castelli Gallery. The vast majority of the other 88 sets were given by Jean-Christophe to major museums and institutions around the world; making individual prints from the portfolios extremely rare.


Close up of the Jasper Johns signature and date. 


Close up of the edition number. 

"Leo," is a large and extremely well executed work of art. It has as it's central focus three stick figures, carrying what appears to be brushes; which is a strong reference to the successful artists of the Leo Castelli Gallery. The figures are walking under a night sky with the constellation Leo above them. The idea that the constellation of Leo (Leo Castelli) is guiding the artists through the darkness, is a brilliant and witty double entendre. A rare and exceptionally well composed work by Jasper Johns, and a great addition to any art collection.

"Interior With Chair," 1997 by Roy Lichtenstein


Interior With Chair, 1997; Screenprint in colors on Somerset Textured paper; Numbered LXI/XC, signed Roy Lichtenstein, and dated '97 lower right; Published by Noblet Serigraphie, Inc., New York; Catalog Raisonne: Corlett: 309; Size - Sheet 37 x 27"; Unframed.


Roy Fox Lichtenstein (1923-1997) was an American Pop artist, who in the 1960's along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Claes Oldenburg, James Rosenquist, and others, became a leading figure in the in the emerging new Pop art movement. He was first recognized for his utilization and reappropriation of a single pane from a comic strip, that both documented and parodied the resulting composition. He used bright primary colors (red, yellow, blue, and occasionally green) that were heavily outlined in black; and he borrowed techniques from the print industry in order to produce paintings. Instead of shades of color, Lichtenstein used either close diagonal black lines or the Benday dot, a method by which primary colors of dots are printed onto a white ground and then when viewed from a distance show a density of tone. Roy Lichtenstein's artwork is collected by all major world art museums and his most expensive painting "Masterpiece," sold in January 2017 for $165 million.

Leo Castelli (1907-1999) was an Italian-American art dealer whose New York Gallery showcased contemporary art for five decades. Among the art movements showed were Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Neo-Dada, Pop Art, Op Art, Color Field, Hard-edge painting, Lyrical Abstraction, Minimal Art , Conceptual Art, and Neo-expressionism. He gave Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, and Frank Stella their first one man shows. Castelli had in his stable the following historically significant artists: Larry Poons, Lee Bontecou, James Rosenquist, Andy Warhol, Robert Morris, Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, Cy Twombly, Ronald Davis, Ed Ruscha, Richard Serra, Bruce Nauman, and Joseph Kosuth.

"Interior With Chair," 1997 was one of nine prints that were commissioned by Leo Castelli's son Jean-Christophe to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Leo Castelli Gallery and as a ninetieth birthday present for his father. The artists chosen to participate all were strongly associated with the Castelli Gallery at some point in their career and included: Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Joseph Kosuth, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Serra, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Edward Ruscha, and Bruce Nauman. The edition size of the resulting portfolio of nine prints corresponded to Leo Castelli's birthday in 1997 when he turned 90 years old. The first two portfolios were presented to Leo Castelli, with the first being a birthday gift and the second being displayed in the Castelli Gallery. The vast majority of the other 88 sets were given by Jean-Christophe to major museums and institutions around the world; making individual prints from the portfolios extremely rare.


Close up of the edition number, signature, and date.

Lichtenstein's Interior Series was one of the artist's last major series of artworks and focused on modern interior living spaces. "Interior With Chair," is a large and extremely well executed work of art. It has as it's central focus a single empty chair, placed next to a small three drawer table, upon which sits a vase of greenery. Behind the chair is an open door and to the right a window with a view of a green landscape with a white cloud filled blue sky. The entire composition is executed in Lichtenstein's signature style of Benday dots and brightly colored graphic forms. A rare and exceptionally well composed work by Roy Lichtenstein, and a great addition to any art collection.

"Blue (for Leo)," 1997 by Ellsworth Kelly


Blue (for Leo), 1997; Screenprint on Somerset Velvet paper; Numbered LXI/XC lower left and signed Kelly lower right; Published by Noblet Serigraphie, Inc., New York; Catalog Raisonne: A.: 276; Size - Sheet 37 x 27"; Unframed.


"I have worked to free shape from its ground, and then to work the shape so that it has a definite relationship to the space around it; so that it has a clarity and a measure within itself of its parts (angles, curves, edges, and mass); and so that, with color and tonality, the shape finds its own space and always demands its freedom and separateness." - Ellsworth Kelly

Ellsworth Kelly was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker who was associated with Hard-Edge painting, Color Field, and Minimalism. He is one of the 20th century's greatest and most influential artists, and his work hangs in the world's finest museum's permanent collections.

Despite Kelly being associated with Minimalism, he does not see himself as a minimalist at all; but rather a figure to ground and a color interaction painter. Ellsworth Kelly's works do have a life model, and unlike Ad Reinhardt, Josef Albers, or Barnett Newman; Kelly derives his forms from nature and his surroundings. Photographs taken by Kelly in France as early as 1949 show the casting of shadow and light over surfaces of Parisian architecture; and it was these photographs that served as references for his paintings at the time. The forms, derived from shadows or just small sections of trees or buildings, are then edited and isolated into regular and irregular geometric shapes. Kelly then paints these forms choosing specific colors to isolate the form, and in some cases to relate to other colored forms within the composition. 


Close up of the Kelly signature.

Leo Castelli (1907-1999) was an Italian-American art dealer whose New York Gallery showcased contemporary art for five decades. Among the art movements showed were Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Neo-Dada, Pop Art, Op Art, Color Field, Hard-edge painting, Lyrical Abstraction, Minimal Art , Conceptual Art, and Neo-expressionism. He gave Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, and Frank Stella their first one man shows. Castelli had in his stable the following historically significant artists: Larry Poons, Lee Bontecou, James Rosenquist, Andy Warhol, Robert Morris, Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, Cy Twombly, Ronald Davis, Ed Ruscha, Richard Serra, Bruce Nauman, and Joseph Kosuth.

"Blue (for Leo)," 1997 was one of nine prints that were commissioned by Leo Castelli's son Jean-Christophe to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Leo Castelli Gallery and as a ninetieth birthday present for his father. The artists chosen to participate all were strongly associated with the Castelli Gallery at some point in their career and included: Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Joseph Kosuth, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Serra, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Edward Ruscha, and Bruce Nauman. The edition size of the resulting portfolio of nine prints corresponded to Leo Castelli's birthday in 1997 when he turned 90 years old. The first two portfolios were presented to Leo Castelli, with the first being a birthday gift and the second being displayed in the Castelli Gallery. The vast majority of the other 88 sets were given by Jean-Christophe to major museums and institutions around the world; making individual prints from the portfolios extremely rare.


Close up of the edition number.

"Blue (for Leo)," 1997 by Ellsworth Kelly is a large and extremely well executed work of art. The blue rectangular form floats on the paper's white ground, touching three of the four paper sheet edges. The result is a strong figure (blue rectangle) and ground (white paper) relationship. The act of viewing the work is the realization that there is a specific and elegant composition, created with the intent of invoking a feeling of calmness. The blue forms seems to float within the field, moving horizontally slightly, as it is bound by it's corners at both at the top and bottom. An exceptional work by Ellsworth Kelly and a great addition to any art collection.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

"Lamp," 1981 by Roy Lichtenstein


Lamp, 1981; Woodcut on natural handmade Okawara paper; Numbered 7/30, signed Roy Lichtenstein, and dated '81 lower right; Published and printed by Tyler Graphics, Ltd., New York; Tyler Graphics Ltd. blind stamp lower right; Workshop number RL80-512 in pencil lower left verso; Catalog Raisonne: Corlett: 182; Size - Sheet 25 x 18 1/4", Frame 29 3/4 x 23"; Framed with a black wood frame, acid free mat, and plexiglass.


“Pop Art looks out into the world. It doesn't look like a painting of something, it looks like the thing itself.” - Roy Lichtenstein

Roy Fox Lichtenstein (1923-1997) was an American Pop artist, who in the 1960's along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Claes Oldenburg, James Rosenquist, and others, became a leading figure in the in the emerging new Pop art movement. He was first recognized for his utilization and reappropriation of a single pane from a comic strip, that both documented and parodied the resulting composition. He used bright primary colors (red, yellow, blue, and occasionally green) that were heavily outlined in black; and he borrowed techniques from the print industry in order to produce paintings. Instead of shades of color, Lichtenstein used either close diagonal black lines or the Benday dot, a method by which primary colors of dots are printed onto a white ground and then when viewed from a distance show a density of tone. Roy Lichtenstein's artwork is collected by all major world art museums and his most expensive painting "Masterpiece," sold in January 2017 for $165 million.


Close up of the edition number, Roy Lichtenstein signature, and the 1981 date.


Close up of the Tyler Graphics Ltd. blind stamp.


Close up of the Workshop number RL80-512 in pencil lower left verso.

Lichtenstein's choice of subject matter is key to his work, and the utilization of comic strips or the choice of the most banal of everyday objects, relates back to Duchamp's concept of the readymade. The hands off approach is further enhanced by the method of commercial design and the use of screen prints, thick lines, flat planes, and obscured perspective of the picture plane.


Installation view of Lamp sculptures, with "Lamp" woodcut hanging on the wall.


"Lamp II," 1977 by Roy Lichtenstein

"Lamp" is one the finest examples of Lichtenstein's profile compositions. Initially the work was created as a painted and patinated bronze sculpture in 1977 entitled "Lamp II." The depth and shadows of the object are all placed on the same plane, as if the entire lamp and the light emitting from it had been crushed and flattened. Volume is reduced to two dimensions, and the lamp appears to be nothing more than a newspaper clipping.


Framed "Lamp," by Roy Lichtenstein.

For "Lamp," 1981, Lichtenstein modified the structure of the bronze sculpture only slightly when he used it as inspiration for the woodcut. The colors of the composition remained the same, and only small adjustments were made for the enhancement of the image from three dimensions to only two.  The subject matter of lamp in simple; a hanging green shade with an exposed lit incandescent light bulb that creates a circle of light on the floor below. The round yellow disk of light on the floor is formed by individual beams of light that Lichtenstein has illustrated by yellow, black, and white lines. All of the lines of light fall along the diameter of the yellow light circle, making the composition both flat and balanced. The result is a brilliant piece of Pop Art derived by Lichtenstein's masterful draftsmanship and great attention to form!