Crying Girl
Medium: Offset lithograph in colors, on wove paper
Year: 1963
Image: 17 1⁄4 x 23 1⁄4 inches (43.8 x 59 cm)
Sheet: 18×24 inches (45.8 x 61 cm)
Edition: Unknown size
Publisher: Leo Castelli Gallery, New York
Literature: Corlett II.1, RLCR 759
Crying Girl, 1963 (RLCR 759) | Catalogue entry | Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné
Many impressions are signed [rf Lichtenstein] in pencil, lower right
This print/mailer was published to announce Lichtenstein’s second solo exhibition at Leo Castelli Gallery, September 28–October 24, 1963. It was not issued in a numbered edition. The portion of the press run with the Castelli return address and exhibition information printed on the back was folded into quarters and mailed, while others without any printing on the back, usually signed by the artist, were sold or given away at Leo Castelli Gallery during the exhibition.
Printed on the verso of the mailer, in the upper left quadrant [upside down]: [Leo Castelli 4 East 77th, New York 21]; and [Roy Lichtenstein September 28th to October 24th, 1963]. The mailer has been trimmed so that the sheet and image measure 17 x 22 15/16 in. (43.2 x 58.2 cm).
Marcus Ratliff coordinated the printing and designed the typography for the mailer. He remembers that Lichtenstein dropped off the black-line drawing with overlays to Ratliff’s office at Fortune magazine. They discussed color; the black was simple enough, and so was the yellow, but ensuring that the right color red was used was more complicated. Without standard printers’ color books to consult, the two looked for something in the office that was the right red. Lichtenstein found it on a package of L&M cigarettes in the cigarette machine in the hall. Ratliff bought a pack to send as a color sample to the printer.
In anticipation of his first solo show at The Leo Castelli Gallery, Roy Lichtenstein had a very important decision to make: how to invite the art world elite. Knowing this is how potential collectors would first encounter his work, he needed to make a statement. To Lichtenstein, that meant turning to the highly stylized comic book imagery pervasive in American pop culture and pushing it further to create his iconic blond woman in Crying Girl, 1963. Lichtenstein printed this edition of offset lithographs, setting side a select few of these prints to sign and preserve for sale and, almost unfathomably today, folding the rest in four as paper invitations.
One image, Crying Girl, with her luscious blond locks, full face of makeup, and pearl earrings, confronts the mid-century feminine ideal to reveal the struggle behind the pursuit of perfection. This print, then, perfectly encapsulates just what sets Lichtenstein apart from his predecessors and summarizes his lasting influence on Pop Art. With its striking field of benday dots, slickly mechanical style, and graphic intensity, there’s little wonder that Lichtenstein selected Crying Girl to set the stage for his first solo exhibition.
Crying Girl, 1964
Christie’s New-York: 9 November 2015
Estimated: USD 7,000,000 – 9,000,000
USD 13,381,000
Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), Crying Girl | Christie’s
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Crying Girl, 1964
Porcelain enamel on steel
46×46 inches (116.8 x 116.8 cm)
Signed, numbered and dated ‘rf Lichtenstein #4 of 5 1964’ (on the reverse)
This work is number four from an edition of five
With her scarlet lips and flowing locks of golden hair, Roy Lichtenstein’s Crying Girl belongs to one of the most iconic series in the 20th century artistic canon. One of the resounding images of the Pop generation, Lichtenstein takes as his muse one of the phalanx of heroines that were to be found within the covers of the mass-produced romance novels often found in bookshops and at supermarket checkouts across the country. Crying Girl employs Lichtenstein’s signature style—his range of motifs that ape the style of the hugely popular comic romance novels from the 1950s. These bold lines, Ben-day dots and brash colors were the language conveyed by the explosion in the printed media. Here, the flat passages of golden yellow that make up her hair are defined by the broad flourishes of royal blue that act almost as highlights—outlining her luscious curls. The same strokes define the silhouette of her pert nose and perfectly plucked eyebrows, even managing to contain the vibrant red of her seductive—slightly pursed—lips. Lichtenstein goes on to denote her complexion with a veil of Ben-Day dots, each one rendered with perfect precision. The evenness of their application, applied without gradation or a sense of shading, implies a flawless (almost ivory-like) quality to the skin—the only sense of dissonance being a single vertical line that indicates just the merest hint of a furrow to her forehead. The fact that all this is executed to such a high standard in enamel only adds to the porcelain-like quality of this work.
Framed by her flawlessly coiffed shock of blond hair, Lichtenstein’s subject is caught in a moment of apparent vulnerability. Wiping away a tear from her perfectly shaped eye, the artist invites contemplation as to her current state. Why is she crying, who has upset her and what will happen next? If one refers to the original source image, the narrative is clear. “The night seemed filled with a thousand empty eternities…” says text in the opening scene, while the heroine’s speech bubble declares “I… I can’t stand it… I’ll apologize tomorrow… after all—it was his first success… He was excited… forgetful…” (Phyllis Read (ed.)., Secret Hearts #88, June 1963). In Crying Girl, Lichtenstein removes all the text and in withholding the narrative succeeds in heightening the sense of drama. In the present work we ostensibly see a girl crying, wiping away the tear that forms in the corner of her eye. But with no accompanying information, the reason behind her tears are left to our imagination. By isolating this one cell from the usual strip format of the cartoon layout and rendering it devoid of any contextual speech bubbles or setting, we the viewer are invited to fill in the blanks and resolve the inherent sense of drama with our own imagination.
Auction Market Overview
2025 Auction Highlights
9 lots sold at auction in 2025, at an average price of USD 51,335. With no lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 100%. The highest price has been achieved by a print from The Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein that sold for USD 127,000 at Sotheby’s in New-York on 26 September 2025.
Works from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 26 September 2025
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 127,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Crying Girl (Corlett II.1), 1963
Offset lithograph printed in colors on wove paper
Signed (lower right)
From the edition of unknown size
2024 Auction Highlights
7 lots sold at auction in 2024 for a total turnover of USD 331,256. With no lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 100%. The highest price has been achieved at Doyle in New-York, on 30 April 2024, when Crying Girl sold for USD 60,800.
Doyle New-York: 30 April 2024
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 60,800
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
CRYING GIRL (CORLETT II.1), 1963
Color offset lithograph on thin wove paper
Signed in pencil, from the edition of unknown size
2023/2022 Auction Highlights
14 prints from Crying Girl sold at auction in 2023 for a total turnover of USD 910,903 at an average price of USD 65,065. The highest price was achieved at Christie’s online on 27 September 2023, when it sold for GBP 81,900 (USD 99,369). This compares to a turnover of USD 420,236 for 7 prints sold in 2022. Twice more lots sold in 2023 than in 2022, with a sell-through rate of 88% (2 lots unsold).
Christie’s online: 27 September 2023
Estimated: GBP 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 81,900 / USD 99,369
HIGHEST PRICE PAID AT AUCTION FOR CRYING GIRL IN 2023
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
Offset lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil, from the edition of unknown size
The auction record for Crying Girl is USD 138,600, price achieved at Sotheby’s in New-York on 13 May 2021.
Sotheby’s New-York: 13 May 2021
American Visionary: The Collection of Mrs. John L. Marion
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 138,600
AUCTION RECORD FOR CRYING GIRL
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Crying Girl (C. II.1), 1963
Offset lithograph on paper
Signed and dated 1963
This work is from an unnumbered edition
2026 Auction Results
Pop Impressions: Prints from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 15 April 2026
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 76,800
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Crying Girl (Corlett II.1; RLCR 759), 1963
Offset lithograph printed in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil
This impression is from the edition of unknown size
Published by Leo Castelli Gallery
Rago: 13 March 2026
Estimated: USD 2,000 – 3,000
USD 21,590
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923–1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
(Bianchini 4 | Corlett II.1 | RL 3782)
Offset lithograph in colors
Signed to lower right ‘rf Lichtenstein’
This work is from the edition of unknown size
Printed by Colorcraft, New York
Published by Leo Castelli Gallery, New York
2025 Auction Results
9 lots sold at auction in 2025 for a total turnover of USD 4,006, at an average price of USD 51,335. With no lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 100%. The highest price was achieved by a print from The Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein that sold for USD 127,000 at Sotheby’s in New-York on 26 September 2025.
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Works from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 26 September 2025
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 127,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Crying Girl (Corlett II.1), 1963
Offset lithograph printed in colors on wove paper
Signed (lower right)
From the edition of unknown size
From the Collection of Alfred H. Barr Jr.
Doyle New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 95,750
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
CRYING GIRL (CORLETT II.1), 1963
Color offset lithograph
Signed in pencil
From the edition of unknown size
Published by Leo Castelli Gallery, New York
Heffel Fine Art: 30 October 2025
Estimated: CAD 30,000 – 40,000
CAD 67,250 / USD 48,085
Edition size unknown
Many hand-signed by the artist like this impression
Published by Leo Castelli Gallery
Doyle New-York: 1 May 2025
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 41,600
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
CRYING GIRL (CORLETT II.1), 1963
Color offset lithograph on lightweight off-white wove paper
Signed in pencil, from the edition of unknown size
Sotheby’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 25,000
USD 40,640
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Crying Girl (Corlett II.1; RLCR 759), 1963
Offset lithograph printed in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil
This impression is from the edition of unknown size
Published by Leo Castelli Gallery
Heritage Auctions: 16 October 2025
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 40,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Crying Girl (Corlett II.1), 1963
Offset lithograph in colors on off-white wove paper
Signed in pencil lower right
Published by Leo Castelli Gallery, New York
Bonhams Skinner: 10 September 2025
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 18,000
USD 28,160
Offset lithograph in colors on lightweight off-white wove paper
Signed in pencil, from an edition of unknown size
Estimated: USD 8,000 – 12,000
From the edition of an unknown size
CONDITION NOTE: COLORS ATTENUATED
Freeman’s Hindman: 7 May 2025
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 16,640
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (American, 1923–1997)
Crying Girl (Corlett II.1), 1963
Offset lithograph
Signed in pencil
2024 Auction Results
7 lots sold at auction in 2024 for a total turnover of USD 331,256. With no lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 100%. The highest price has been achieved at Doyle in New-York, on 30 April 2024, when Crying Girl sold for USD 60,800.
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Doyle New-York: 30 April 2024
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 60,800
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
CRYING GIRL (CORLETT II.1), 1963
Color offset lithograph on thin wove paper
Signed in pencil, from the edition of unknown size
Christie’s online: 23 July 2024
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 56,700
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
Offset lithograph in colors on lightweight off-white wove paper
Signed and dated in pencil, from the edition of unknown size
Sotheby’s New-York: 14 May 2024
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 25,000
USD 53,340
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
Offset lithograph printed in colors on wove paper
Signed (lower right)
This impression is from the edition of unknown size, published by Leo Castelli Gallery
Rago: 16 October 2024
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 47,880
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923–1997)
Crying Girl (Corlett II.1), 1963
Offset lithograph in colors
Signed to lower right ‘rf Lichtenstein’
This work is from the edition of an unknown size
Doyle New-York: 31 October 2024
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 25,000
USD 38,400
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
CRYING GIRL (CORLETT II.1), 1963
Color offset lithograph on lightweight off-white wove paper
Signed in pencil, from the edition of unknown size
Swann Galleries: 26 November 2024
Estimated: USD 35,000 – 50,000
USD 37,500
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Crying Girl (Corlett II.1), 1963
Color offset lithograph
Signed in pencil, lower right
SBI Art Auction: 25 May 2024
Estimated: JPY 4,000,000 – 7,000,000
JPY 5,750,000 / USD 36,636
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Crying Girl (Corlett Ⅱ.1), 1963
Offset lithograph
Signed on the lower right
2023 Auction Results
14 prints from Crying Girl sold at auction in 2023 for a total turnover of USD 910,903 at an average price of USD 65,065. The highest price was achieved at Christie’s online on 27 September 2023, when it sold for GBP 81,900 (USD 99,369).
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Christie’s online: 27 September 2023
Estimated: GBP 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 81,900 / USD 99,370
HIGHEST PRICE PAID AT AUCTION FOR CRYING GIRL IN 2023
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
Offset lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil, from the edition of unknown size
Freeman’s: 17 May 2023
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 88,200
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (American, 1923-1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
Color offset lithograph on lightweight, off-white wove paper
Pencil signed, from the edition of unknown size
Doyle New-York: 1 November 2023
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 81,900
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Crying Girl, 1963
Color offset lithograph on wove paper
Signed, dated 1964 and dedicated to Bob Elliott in pencil
From the edition of unknown size
Dorotheum: 30 November 2023
Estimated: EUR 30,000 – 50,000
EUR 63,563 / USD 69,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Crying Girl, 1963
Offset in colors on lightweight wove paper
Signed rf Lichtenstein
Phillips New-York: 26 October 2023
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 63,500
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Crying Girl (C. II.1), 1963
Offset lithograph in colors on lightweight wove paper
Signed in pencil, from the edition of an unknown size
Karl and Faber: 30 June 2023
Estimated: EUR 35,000 – 45,000
EUR 57,150 / USD 62,395
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
Color Offset lithograph
Signed in pencil, from the edition of unknown size
Christie’s Milan: 5 December 2023
Estimated: EUR 20,000 – 30,000
EUR 47,880 / USD 51,890
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
Offset lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed and dated in pencil
Bonhams London: 27 June 2023
Estimated: GBP 30,000 – 50,000
GBP 44,800 / USD 57,128
Offset lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed and dedicated ‘To Harry Abrams’ in pencil, from the edition of an unknown size
Swann Auction Galleries: 8 June 2023
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 71,500
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Crying Girl, 1963
Color offset lithograph
Signed in pencil, lower right
Sotheby’s New-York: 19 April 2023
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 53,340
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
Offset lithograph printed in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil, from an edition of unknown size
Phillips New-York: 15 February 2023
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 60,880
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Crying Girl (C. II.1), 1963
Offset lithograph in colors, on lightweight wove paper
Signed in pencil, from an edition of unknown size
2022 Auction Results
Koller Zurich: 1 December 2022
Estimated: CHF 16,000 – 22,000
CHF 34,460 / USD 36,745
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Crying girl, 1963
Color offset lithograph on Invitation card
From an unknown edition
Signed in pencil lower right: rf Lichtenstein
Condition: Minimally faded and browned
Bonhams New-York: 12 May 2022
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 107,475
Offset lithograph in colors on off-white wove paper
Signed in pencil and dated, from the unknown edition size
Doyle New-York: 26 April 2022
Estimated: USD 8,000 – 12,000
USD 46,875
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
CRYING GIRL (CORLETT II.1), 1963
Color offset lithograph on smooth wove paper
Signed in pencil, from the edition of unknown size
Bonhams LA: 29 March 2022
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 62,812
Offset lithograph in colors on off-white wove paper
Signed in pencil, from the unknown edition size
Sotheby’s London: 16 March 2022
Estimated: GBP 12,000 – 18,000
GBP 40,320 / USD 52,778
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Crying Girl (Corlett II.1), 1963
Offset lithograph printed in colors
Signed in pencil, from the edition of unknown size
Christie’s New-York: 8 March 2022
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 69,300
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
Offset lithograph in colors on wove paper
From the edition of unknown size
2021 Auction Results
Christie’s New-York: 21 October 2021
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 75,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
Offset lithograph in colors, on wove paper
Signed in pencil, from the edition of unknown size
Christie’s New-York: 14 September 2021
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
Estimated: USD 87,500
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
Offset lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil, from the edition of unknown size
Sotheby’s New-York: 13 May 2021
American Visionary: The Collection of Mrs. John L. Marion
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 138,600
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Crying Girl (C. II.1), 1963
Offset lithograph on paper
Signed and dated 1963
This work is from an unnumbered edition
2020 Auction Results
8 lots sold at auction in 2020 for a total turnover of USD 405,805, at an average price of USD 50,725. The highest price was achieved at Freeman’s Hindman on 2 October 2020, when it sold for USD 81,250.
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Freeman’s Hindman: 2 October 2020
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 81,250
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (American, 1923-1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
Color offset lithograph on lightweight, off-white wove paper
Pencil signed, from the edition of unknown size
Mainichi Auction Tokyo: 17 October 2020
Estimated: JPY 3,000,000 – 4,000,000
JPY 6,300,000 (Hammer)
JPY 7,339,500 / USD 69,630
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Crying Girl, 1963
Lithograph
Signed
Dorotheum Vienna: 21 November 2020
Estimated: EUR 40,000 – 60,000
EUR 56,550 / USD 67,345
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (New York 1923–1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
Offset lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed rf Lichtenstein
Published by Leo Castelli Gallery, New York
Sotheby’s New-York: 20 October 2020
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 20,000
USD 56,700
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
CRYING GIRL (CORLETT II.1), 1963
Offset lithograph printed in colors
Signed in pencil and dated, from the edition of unknown size
Christie’s New-York: 24 October 2018
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 87,500
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Crying Girl, 1963
Offset lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil, from the edition of unknown size