Initiated in the mid-1970s, Roy Lichtenstein’s Surrealist Series represents a novel and ambitious chapter within his artistic trajectory. This series, composed of various prints and canvases, exhibits Lichtenstein’s departure from his famed comic-strip imagery, instead embracing dreamlike and fantastical elements. The series is characterized by the continued usage of Lichtenstein’s trademark formal characteristics: the use of primary colors, meticulous application of Ben-Day dots with dynamic yet refined lines. However, he incorporates these iconic techniques within a framework of surrealistic motifs, creating a distinct visual language that bridges the seemingly disparate movements of Surrealism and Pop Art.

 


Introduction


Indeed, until Lichtenstein, they were two worlds apart. Lichtenstein’s unique amalgation of Surrealist aesthetics and Pop Art influence was a bold and unprecedented move, ringing in a new era of American art. While nodding to European Surrealist greats, Lichtenstein’s reimagining deviates from the ethereal complexity of Salvador Dali or the metaphysical depth of Rene Magritte. Instead, he channels the quintessential simplicity of Pop Art into surrealist renderings, retaining the accessibility and immediacy intrinsic to his earlier work. The works successfully blend the dreamlike, illogical motifs of Surrealism with Lichtenstein’s hard-edged, comic-book iconography, particularly his signature Ben-Day dots and bold black outlines.

Lichtenstein began his “Surrealist” compositions in 1977, following other series where he reinterpreted past art movements (like Cubism and Art Deco). This series is an homage and critique of Surrealism, the European art movement that explored the subconscious, dreams, and automatism (1920s–1940s). He specifically referenced masters like Salvador Dalí (for melting forms), René Magritte (for strange juxtapositions and figure/object ambiguity), Max Ernst, and Pablo Picasso (whose Surrealist period was distinct).

Surrealism championed the spontaneous and the subconscious. Lichtenstein’s process, however, was meticulously calculated and planned, applying his cool, detached Pop style to the emotional and irrational imagery of Surrealism. This juxtaposition, the machine-like Pop critique applied to the dream-like art, is the core conceptual meaning of the series. Lichtenstein integrated motifs from his own oeuvre, such as the exaggerated female face, stylized hair, and references to his earlier Brushstroke and later American Indian themes, creating a dialogue between art history and his own artistic history.

Lichtenstein worked on the six prints of the Surrealist series at Gemini G.E.L. in the early months of 1978. They presented him with entirely new challenges and significantly altered his way of working. Since the 1960s Lichtenstein had generally utilized photographic and mechanical processes to obtain the clean, impersonal, mass-produced look he sought. But for the Surrealist series, he drew directly on the plates and stones with Spectracolor pencil, sometimes using a combination of Spectracolor pencil and tusche to create the larger areas of color. For this project Spectracolor pencil proved to be a better drawing medium than the regular lithographic pencil, because its sharpened point was less likely to break against the hard surface of the plate.

One of each print in this series was designated to support Change, Inc., the organization founded by Robert Rauschenberg in 1970 to provide emergency funds to artists in need.

 

 


Surrealist Series, 1978


The Surrealist Series, created at Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles in early 1978, consists of six major prints. These prints marked a departure from the photographic and mechanical processes Lichtenstein usually employed for his signature Pop aesthetic.

1. Figures with Rope (Corlett 152)

2. Blonde (Corlett 153)

3. Nude on Beach (Corlett 154)

4. A Bright Night (Corlett 155)

5. At The Beach (Corlett 156)

6. Figures (Corlett 157)

 


2026 Auction Results


At The Beach, 1978

Pop Impressions: Prints from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 15 April 2026

Estimated: USD 12,000 – 18,000
USD 23,040

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
At the Beach, from the Surrealist series (Corlett 156; RLCR 2696), 1978
Lithograph printed in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed in pencil, dated and inscribed AP III/VII
This impression is one of seven artist’s proofs aside from the numbered edition of 38
With the blindstamp of the printer and publisher, Gemini G.E.L., and with their inkstamp on the verso

 

 


2025 Auction Results


Figures, 1978

Bonhams online: 25 November 2025
Estimated: USD 7,000 – 10,000
USD 8,960

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Figures (Corlett 157, Gemini 795), 1978
from the Surrealist Series 
Lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 4/38 (there were also 7 artist’s proofs)
With the blindstamp and inkstamp on the reverse of the publisher/printer, Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles

Figures with Rope, 1978

Christie’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 13,970

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Figures with Rope (Corlett 152), 1978
From Surrealist Series
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 28⁄38
(there were also seven artist’s proofs)

Blonde, 1978

Christie’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 40,640

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Blonde (Corlett 153), 1978
From Surrealist Series
Lithograph on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 28⁄38
(there were also seven artist’s proofs)

Nude on Beach, 1978

Christie’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 17,780

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Nude on Beach (Corlett 154), 1978
From Surrealist Series
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 28⁄38
(there were also seven artist’s proofs)

A Bright Night, 1978

Christie’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 18,000
USD 24,130

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
A Bright Night (Corlett 155), 1978
From Surrealist Series
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 28⁄38
(there were also seven artist’s proofs)

At the Beach, 1978

Christie’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 20,000
USD 33,020

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
At the Beach (Corlett 156), 1978
From Surrealist Series
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 28⁄38
(there were also seven artist’s proofs)

Figures, 1978

Christie’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 13,970

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Figures (Corlett 157; Gemini 795), 1978
from Surrealist Series
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 28⁄38
(there were also seven artist’s proofs)

Figures with Rope, 1978

Works from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 26 September 2025

Estimated: USD 7,000 – 10,000
USD 25,400

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Figures with Rope, from the Surrealist series (Corlett 152), 1978
Lithograph printed in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed, dated ’78 and inscribed TP 1/1 (lower right)
A trial proof aside from the numbered edition of 38 plus 7 artist’s proofs

Blonde, 1978

Works from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 26 September 2025

Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 88,900
AUCTION RECORD FOR BLONDE

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Blonde, from the Surrealist series (Corlett 153), 1978
Lithograph printed in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed, dated ’78 and inscribed AP III/VII (lower right)
One of 7 artist’s proofs in Roman numerals aside from the numbered edition of 38 in Arabic numerals

Blonde, 1978

Christie’s online: 17 July 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 69,300

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Blonde, from Surrealist Series (Corlett 153), 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil
Nmbered 25/38 (there were also seven artist’s proofs)

Nude on Beach, 1978

Bonhams Skinner: 14 January 2025
Estimated: USD 8,000 – 12,000
USD 19,200
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Nude on Beach, from the Surrealist series (Corlett 154), 1978
Color lithograph on Arches 88 paper
Numbered, signed, and dated ’21/38 rf Lichtenstein ’78’ in pencil lower right

A Bright Night, 1978

Bonhams Skinner: 14 January 2025
Estimated: USD 8,000 – 12,000
USD 19,200

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
A Bright Night from the Surrealist series (Corlett 155), 1978
Color lithograph on Arches 88 paper
Numbered, signed, and dated ’20/38 rf Lichtenstein ’78’ in pencil lower right

 


2024 Auction Results


Figures with Rope, 1978

Dorotheum Vienna: 21 June 2024
Estimated: EUR 6,000
EUR 10,594 / USD 11,340

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (New York 1923–1997)
Figures with Rope (Corlett 152), 1978
Lithograph on wove paper
Signed and dated rf Lichtenstein 78
No. 37 from the edition of 38 numbered impressions
Condition: Sheet slightly browned, more heavily browned on the reverse

At the Beach, 1978

John Moran: 26 March 2024
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 19,050

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
At The Beach, from the Surrealist Series, 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Edition: 34/38 (there were also 7 artist’s proofs)
Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil, below the image, in the lower margin, at right: rf Lichtenstein

At the Beach, 1978

Bonhams New-York online: 14 August 2024
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 30,000
USD 30,720

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
At the Beach, from Surrealist Series (Corlett 156), 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 34/38

 


2023 Auction Results


 

At the Beach, 1978

Dobiaschofsky Bern: 12 May 2023
Estimated: CHF 9,000
CHF 15,000 (Hammer)
CHF 18,750 / USD 20,900

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 New York 1997)
At the Beach, 1978
Color lithograph
Hand-signed
Edition 38/38

 


2022 Auction Results


Figures, 1978

Christie’s New-York: 9 March 2022
Estimated: USD 7,000 – 10,000
USD 23,940

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Figures, from Surrealist Series, 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered ‘PP II’
A printer’s proof, the edition was 38

 


2021 Auction Results


Blonde, 1978

Bonhams Los Angeles: 24 March 2021
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 44,062

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Blonde, from the Surrealist series (C. 153; G. 791), 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 7/38

 

 

 


Figures with Rope


Figures with Rope
from Surrealist Series

Medium: Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Year: 1978
Image: 15 1/4 x 21 5/8 inches (38.7 x 54.8 cm)
Sheet: 21 7/8 x 29 3/4 inches (55.6 x 75.6 cm)
Edition: 38
Artist’s Proofs: 7 AP
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Literature: Corlett 152, Gemini 790, RLCR 2718

Figures with Rope, 1978 (RLCR 2718) | Catalogue entry | Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné

Signed, dated and numbered in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamps and ink stamp on the reverse


Figures with Rope
presents a fragmented composition featuring portions of one or more stylized female figures from Lichtenstein’s classic comic-book archetype. The scene is fractured into distinct areas defined by his sharp, black outlines. A key element is a piece of rope, rendered with graphic simplicity, which cuts across the figures and geometric shapes, creating an illogical connection and spatial disorientation typical of Surrealism. The flat areas of primary colors and Ben-Day dots contrast sharply with the absurd arrangement of the forms. The illogical linking of objects (the rope) and the non-sensical presentation of the figure (lips, eye, hair existing independently) directly references Surrealist artists like Man Ray and Magritte, who played with the symbolic and spatial ambiguity of common forms.

Auction Results


Christie’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 13,970

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Figures with Rope (Corlett 152), 1978
From Surrealist Series
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 28⁄38
(there were also seven artist’s proofs)

Works from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 26 September 2025

Estimated: USD 7,000 – 10,000
USD 25,400

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Figures with Rope, from the Surrealist series (Corlett 152), 1978
Lithograph printed in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed, dated ’78 and inscribed TP 1/1 (lower right)
A trial proof aside from the numbered edition of 38 plus 7 artist’s proofs

Dorotheum Vienna: 21 June 2024
Estimated: EUR 6,000
EUR 10,594 / USD 11,340

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (New York 1923–1997)
Figures with Rope (Corlett 152), 1978
Lithograph on wove paper
Signed and dated rf Lichtenstein 78
No. 37 from the edition of 38 numbered impressions
Condition: Sheet slightly browned, more heavily browned on the reverse

Phillips London: 7 June 2018
Estimated: GBP 3,000 – 5,000
GBP 8,750 / USD 11,750

ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Figures with Rope, from Surrealist Series, 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed, dated and numbered 37/38 in pencil

SBI Art Auction: 27 January 2018
Estimated: JPY 700,000 – 1,000,000
JPY 885,500 / USD 8,155

Roy LICHTENSTEIN
Figures with Rope (Corlett 152), 1978
Lithograph
Signed, dated and numbered
From the edition of 38

Christie’s New-York: 1 March 2017
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 13,750

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Figures with Rope, from Surrealist Series, 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 34/38

 

 


Blonde


Blonde
from Surrealist Series

Medium: Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Year: 1978
Image: 18×21 inches (46.5 x 53.5 cm)
Sheet: 26×29 inches (67 x 73.5 cm)
Edition: 38
Artist’s Proofs: 7 AP
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Literature: Corlett 153, RLCR 2698

Blonde, 1978 (RLCR 2698) | Catalogue entry | Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné

Signed, dated and numbered in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamps and ink stamp on the reverse

 

Blonde is a dramatic, emotionally charged composition centered on a blonde female head. Her facial features, particularly the forlorn eye with a single tear, recall Lichtenstein’s 1960s heroines, but with a surreal twist. The figure seems to be dissolving: red stripes cover half her face, blending her with the striped background and signaling distress or evaporation. Most strikingly, her long, flowing golden hair is depicted as a solid, spear-like form that balances the head and penetrates the ground below. A graphic, faux-wood statue appropriated from Lichtenstein’s own American Indian series often appears to the side, acting as a bizarre, silent observer in this dreamlike scene. The impossible structural integrity of the hair and the implied emotional agony, stripped of a narrative speech bubble, create a haunting ambiguity reminiscent of Surrealist psychological landscapes.

Auction Results


Christie’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 40,640

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Blonde (Corlett 153), 1978
From Surrealist Series
Lithograph on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 28⁄38
(there were also seven artist’s proofs)

Works from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 26 September 2025

Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 88,900
AUCTION RECORD FOR BLONDE

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Blonde, from the Surrealist series (Corlett 153), 1978
Lithograph printed in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed, dated ’78 and inscribed AP III/VII (lower right)
One of 7 artist’s proofs in Roman numerals aside from the numbered edition of 38 in Arabic numerals

Christie’s online: 17 July 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 69,300

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Blonde, from Surrealist Series (Corlett 153), 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil
Nmbered 25/38 (there were also seven artist’s proofs)

Bonhams Los Angeles: 24 March 2021
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 44,062

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Blonde, from the Surrealist series (C. 153; G. 791), 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 7/38
Christie’s New-York: 26 April 2016
Estimated: USD 8,000 – 12,000
USD 30,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Blonde, from The Surrealist Series, 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered ‘AP VII/VII’
An artist’s proof aside from the edition of 38


Nude on Beach


Nude on Beach
from Surrealist Series

Medium: Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Year: 1978
Image: 14 1/2 x 15 3/4 inches (36.8 x 40 cm)
Sheet: 25 3/4 x 24 1/2 inches (65.4 x 62.2 cm)
Edition: 38
Artist’s Proofs: 7 AP
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Literature: Corlett 154, RLCR 2748

Nude on Beach, 1978 (RLCR 2748) | Catalogue entry | Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné

Signed, dated and numbered in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamps and ink stamp on the reverse

 

A direct and humorous homage to Salvador Dalí’s melting forms. Nude on Beach features a reclining nude figure stretched out on a surreal, minimalist beach. Instead of realistic flesh, the figure is composed of Lichtenstein’s graphic elements, primarily red stripes for the body and yellow dots for the hair. The figure appears to be melting or sagging, her limbs fluidly stretching across the sand. The background is simplified into a striped ocean and a dot-filled sky, giving the chaotic figure a clean, graphic context. The figure’s dissolution and the soft, exaggerated curves are a clear Pop parody of Dalí’s preoccupation with time, form, and organic decay (The Persistence of Memory).

 

Auction Results


Christie’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 17,780

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Nude on Beach (Corlett 154), 1978
From Surrealist Series
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 28⁄38
(there were also seven artist’s proofs)

Bonhams Skinner: 14 January 2025
Estimated: USD 8,000 – 12,000
USD 19,200
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Nude on Beach, from the Surrealist series (Corlett 154), 1978
Color lithograph on Arches 88 paper
Numbered, signed, and dated ’21/38 rf Lichtenstein ’78’ in pencil lower right

Christie’s online: 16 July 2019
Estimated: USD 8,000 – 12,000
USD 12,500

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Nude on Beach, from the Surrealist Series, 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 36/38 (there were also seven artist’s proofs)


A Bright Night


A Bright Night
from Surrealist Series

Medium: Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Year: 1978
Image: 18 3/8 x 21 inches (46.7 x 53.3 cm)
Sheet: 26 1/4 x 29 inches (66.7 x 73.7 cm)
Edition: 38
Artist’s Proofs: 7 AP
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Literature: Corlett 155, Gemini 793, RLCR 2689

A Bright Night, 1978 (RLCR 2689) | Catalogue entry | Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné

Signed, dated and numbered in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamps and ink stamp on the reverse

 

Bright Night is an architectural and landscape study that leans heavily into the illogical space of the Surrealists. The title itself is an oxymoron reflecting a dream state. The image typically juxtaposes a graphic, stylized sun or moon with interior elements, such as a window or a piece of wall. It often features a minimal, geometric landscape (a patch of ground and sky) against an inexplicable, detailed object or cropped human part, such as a single pair of red lips, creating a sense of isolation and visual non-sequitur. It mirrors the uncanny realism of René Magritte, who frequently combined indoor and outdoor spaces and impossible celestial arrangements to destabilize the viewer’s perception of reality.

Auction Results


Christie’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 18,000
USD 24,130

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
A Bright Night (Corlett 155), 1978
From Surrealist Series
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 28⁄38
(there were also seven artist’s proofs)

Bonhams Skinner: 14 January 2025
Estimated: USD 8,000 – 12,000
USD 19,200

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
A Bright Night from the Surrealist series (Corlett 155), 1978
Color lithograph on Arches 88 paper
Numbered, signed, and dated ’20/38 rf Lichtenstein ’78’ in pencil lower right

Phillips New-York: 23 July 2020
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 23,750

ROY LICHTENSTEIN
A Bright Night, from Surrealist Series, 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed and numbered 14/38


At The Beach


At The Beach
from Surrealist Series

Medium: Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Year: 1978
Image: 17 1/2 x 34 inches (44.5 x 86.4 cm)
Sheet: 26×42 inches (66 x 106.7 cm)
Edition: 38
Artist’s Proofs: 7 AP
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Literature: Corlett 156, Gemini 794, RLCR 2696

At the Beach, 1978 (RLCR 2696) | Catalogue entry | Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné

Signed, dated and numbered in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamps and ink stamp on the reverse

 

At The Beach is a wide, horizontal composition showing a surreal beach scene with two distinct figures. One is a reclining nude, similar to Nude on Beach, with long, elongated, jelly-like limbs rendered in monochrome black and white stripes and dots. This figure appears to be sunbathing or sleeping, one eye peeking open. Nearby, a stylized still life, like a spilled glass of wine or a bucket, adds a touch of domestic oddity to the vast coastal setting. A second figure, often more abstract or ceramic-like, stands in the background, anchoring the composition. The extreme elongation and distortion of the body, coupled with the incongruous still-life objects on a barren beach, generate the unsettling “marvelous” of Surrealist painting.

Auction Results


Pop Impressions: Prints from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 15 April 2026

Estimated: USD 12,000 – 18,000
USD 23,040

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
At the Beach, from the Surrealist series (Corlett 156; RLCR 2696), 1978
Lithograph printed in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed in pencil, dated and inscribed AP III/VII
This impression is one of seven artist’s proofs aside from the numbered edition of 38
With the blindstamp of the printer and publisher, Gemini G.E.L., and with their inkstamp on the verso

Christie’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 20,000
USD 33,020

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
At the Beach (Corlett 156), 1978
From Surrealist Series
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 28⁄38
(there were also seven artist’s proofs)

Bonhams online: 14 August 2024
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 30,000
USD 30,720

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
At the Beach, from Surrealist Series (Corlett 156), 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 34/38

John Moran: 26 March 2024
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 19,050

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
At The Beach, from the Surrealist Series, 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Edition: 34/38 (there were also 7 artist’s proofs)
Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil, below the image, in the lower margin, at right: rf Lichtenstein

Dobiaschofsky Bern: 12 May 2023
Estimated: CHF 9,000
CHF 15,000 (Hammer)
CHF 18,750 / USD 20,900

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 New York 1997)
At the Beach, 1978
Color lithograph
Hand-signed
Edition 38/38

Phillips New-York: 16 October 2017
Estimated: USD 7,000 – 10,000
USD 22,500

ROY LICHTENSTEIN
At the Beach, from Surrealist series, 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed, dated and numbered 21/38 in pencil (there were also 7 artist’s proofs)


Figures


Figures
from Surrealist Series

Medium: Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Year: 1978
Image: 23 1/2 x 15 1/8 inches (59.7 x 38.4 cm)
Sheet: 31 3/8 x 23 1/2 inches (79.7 x 59.7 cm)
Edition: 38
Artist’s Proofs: 7 AP
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Literature: Corlett 157, Gemini 795, RLCR 2715

Figures, 1978 (RLCR 2715) | Catalogue entry | Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné

Signed, dated and numbered in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamps and ink stamp on the reverse

 

Perhaps the most complex and dense of the series, Figures is an abstract assembly of anatomical fragments and geometric shapes.  The composition brings together a stylized female face or partial head, a large, stylized hand or glove, and other abstract forms that suggest a disassembled body in space, possibly referencing Picasso’s own Surrealist period figures. The overall effect is a controlled, fragmented Cubo-Surrealist image filtered through Pop Art’s visual language. This work focuses on the Surrealist fascination with the fragmented body and the juxtaposition of organic and mechanical forms, presenting a portrait built not from likeness, but from symbolic, recontextualized parts.

Auction Results


Bonhams online: 25 November 2025
Estimated: USD 7,000 – 10,000
USD 8,960

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Figures (Corlett 157, Gemini 795), 1978
from the Surrealist Series 
Lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 4/38 (there were also 7 artist’s proofs)
With the blindstamp and inkstamp on the reverse of the publisher/printer, Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles

Christie’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 13,970

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Figures (Corlett 157; Gemini 795), 1978
from Surrealist Series
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 28⁄38
(there were also seven artist’s proofs)

Christie’s New-York: 9 March 2022
Estimated: USD 7,000 – 10,000
USD 23,940

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Figures, from Surrealist Series, 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered ‘PP II’
A printer’s proof, the edition was 38

Mallet Japan: 28 September 2017
Estimated: JPY 400,000 – 500,000
JPY 780,000 (Hammer)
JPY 908,700 / USD 8,065

ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Figures, from ‘Surrealist Series’, 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches
Signed
Edition: 32 of 38

Sotheby’s London: 20 September 2017
Estimated: GBP 5,000 – 7,000
GBP 7,500 / USD 10,120

ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Figures (C. 157), from the Surrealist series, 1978
Lithograph printed in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed in pencil, dated, numbered 26/38 (total edition includes seven artist’s proofs)

Christie’s New-York: 1 March 2017
Estimated: USD 8,000 – 12,000
USD 11,875

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Figures, from Surrealist Series, 1978
Lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 34/38