Explosion
from Portfolio 9

Medium: Lithograph in colors on Rives BFK paper
Year: 1967
Sheet: 22×17 inches (55.9 x 43.2 cm)
Edition: 100
Artist’s Proofs: 20 (numbered in Roman numerals), 10 unnumbered
Publisher: Hollander Workshop, New York
Literature: Corlett 49

Signed and numbered in pencil

Irwin Hollander was a master lithographer who worked closely with many of the great Abstract Expressionist painters in the 1960s to help revive fine art printing in America. An artist himself, Hollander turned to working in commercial lithography in the 1950s to make ends meet. The company he worked for allowed Hollander to use their equipment at night for his own artistic pursuits, which caught the notice of artist June Wayne. She had recently opened Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Los Angeles and invited Hollander to become their first master printer – cementing his career as a fine art printer and advocate for lithography as an art form.

Irwin Hollander in 1966 working on Robert Motherwell’s lithograph “Automatism B.” He persuaded many Abstract Expressionist painters to try lithography. Photo credit Dedalus Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY

Moving back to New York in the mid-1960s, Hollander set up his own print shop, Hollander Workshop, on the Lower East Side. Early works published in the workshop were by Leonard Baskin and Robert Motherwell, leading to the publishing of Portfolio 9 in 1967 which included works from nine artists: Willem de Kooning, Sam Francis, Ellsworth Kelly, Richard Lindner, Robert Motherwell, Louise Nevelson, Henry Pearson, and Saul Steinberg. Following this series, Hollander went on to work with many of these artists individually and is noted for convincing Willem de Kooning and Robert Motherwell that their artistic styles would be well-suited to lithography, eventually leading to a significant body of prints by both artists.

Auction Results

Pop Impressions: Prints from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 14 April 2026
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 25,000
USD 83,200
NEW AUCTION RECORD FOR EXPLOSION

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Explosion, from Portfolio 9 (Corlett 49; RLCR 1313), 1967
Lithograph printed in colors on Rives wove paper
Signed in pencil and inscribed A/P
This impression is one of ten artist’s proofs aside from the numbered edition of 100
(there is also an edition of 20 in Roman numerals)
With the blindstamp of the publisher, Hollander Workshop

Koller Zurich: 26 June 2025
Estimated: CHF 15,000 – 25,000
CHF 46,250 / USD 57,765
AUCTION RECORD FOR EXPLOSION

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 New York City 1997)
Explosion (Corlett 49), 1967
From the portfolio “Portfolio 9”
Color lithograph on Rives wove paper
Edition: 27/100
Signed lower right in pencil: rf Lichtenstein

Mainichi Auction: 20 July 2024
Estimated: JPY 3,000,000 – 4,000,000
JPY 3,680,000 / USD 23,380

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 New York City 1997)
Explosion from Portfolio 9 (Corlett 49), 1967
Lithograph
Ed. 100
Signed lower right

Bonhams Los Angeles: 28 March 2023
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 20,000
USD 21,675

Phillips New-York: 26 October 2022
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 25,000
USD 44,100

Venduehuis The Hague: 13 April 2022
Estimated: EUR 10,000 – 15,000
EUR 24,000 (Hammer)
EUR 31,200 / USD 33,950

ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Explosion, from Portfolio 9 (C. 49), 1967
Lithograph in colors, on Rives BFK paper, the full sheet.
Signed and numbered ‘XVIII/XX’ in pencil
(an artist’s proof, the edition was 100 in Arabic numerals and 10 unnumbered artist’s proofs)

ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Explosion (Corlett 49), 1967
From Portfolio 9 with the original justification page
Color lithograph on Rives BFK
Signed and numbered XIX/XX in pencil, lower margin

Freeman’s Hindman: 30 October 2019
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 22,500