Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) was one of the most successful and influential artists of the 20th century, helping pioneer and define Pop Art in the 1960's.
Lichtenstein's signature style mined images from comic books and advertisements, elevating them beyond their humble sources. He emphasized the artificiality of his images by mimicking the look of commercial press production, raising important questions (via Pop art) about appropriation, parody, consumer culture, and the limits of what art can be.
"Bicentennial Print" was created in celebration of the United State's 200th birthday. Commissioned by Mobil Oil as part of the America: The Third Century portfolio, the artwork celebrates and interrogates American identity through Lichtensteinâs signature stylization.
For Lichtenstein, Pop art was inseparable from industrialism, and America, as he saw it, stood at its apex:Â "Everybody has called Pop Art 'American' painting, but it's actually industrial painting. America was hit by industrialism and capitalism harder and sooner, and its values seem more askew. I think the meaning of my work is that it's industrialâit's what all the world will soon become."
Depicting the United States as a composition of interlocking puzzle pieces, this image evokes the pillars of American society â industry, technology, and architecture. Rendered in his iconic palette, the print features rotating gears, radiant light, a steel beam, and fragments of a waving flag arranged within grid-like panes.Â
Impressions of this print are held in the collections of several major institutions, including: The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; The Whitney, New York; The MoMA, New York; The Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin; The Buffalo AKG Art Museum.
Questions about this artwork? Contact us, call +1.416.704.1720, or visit our Toronto gallery.
"Bicentennial Print"
From America: The Third Century portfolio
1975 (published 1976)
Lithograph and screenprint on white wove paper
Numbered, signed and dated 75 by the artist.
Blind stamp, lower right: [Styria Studio chop]
From an edition of 200
Printed by Styria Studio, New York
Published by APC Editions, division of Chermayeff & Geismar Associates, Inc., New York (and underwritten by Mobil Oil Corporation)
30"H 22.25"W (sheet)
35.5"H 27.75"W (framed)
Framed with museum glass
Very good condition
Catalogue Raisonné: RLCR 2425 (Corlett 136; RL 3636)
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