From 1982 to 1985 Lichtenstein worked on a group of paintings that took “Paintings” as its subject. The “Paintings” prints continue that investigation, but with different implications in the concept of a “print”, versus a “painting”, of a painting. For previous Gemini G.E.L. projects, such as the Bull Profile series, Lichtenstein had completed drawings in his studio and then executed collages once arriving at the workshop. But because of the complexity of the imagery, this time Lichtenstein chose to complete the collages in advance in his New York studio, shipping them to Gemini G.E.L. before his arrival there in March 1983.
Introduction
Roy Lichtenstein’s Paintings Series (1984) comprises 8 visually engaging prints that form a conceptual exploration of what it means to create, view, and interpret a painting in the postmodern era. Completed in the final decade of his career, this series reflects Lichtenstein’s ongoing fascination with the conventions of art history and the boundaries between high and low culture. Each print in the series presents a ‘painting within a painting’—or more accurately, a ‘painting within a print.’ Framed artworks, comic characters, brushstroke imitations, and even decorative frames themselves become the subject matter, all rendered with Lichtenstein’s signature techniques: bold outlines, flat areas of color, Benday dots, and stylized brushwork. The result is an ironic, analytical, and playfully self-aware body of work that challenges the authenticity and sanctity traditionally associated with painting.
Lichtenstein uses this series to blur the lines between medium and message. Although the prints mimic canvas textures and expressive painting styles—such as Abstract Expressionism and Cubism—they are executed through screenprint, woodcut, lithography, and other methods that emphasize their mechanical precision. This calculated process becomes part of the joke: the gestural becomes deliberate; the expressive, methodical. In doing so, Lichtenstein elevates everyday visuals (beach balls, comic panels, table lamps) while parodying the solemnity of art historical canons.
Above all, Paintings Series is a witty meditation on image, reproduction, and perception. By presenting paintings as artifacts within the artwork itself, Lichtenstein makes the viewer acutely aware of context, framing, and categorization. Whether it is a Cubist portrait or a tumbling comic strip character, each subject invites critical reflection—and perhaps a knowing smile. These works do not merely depict paintings; they ask us to consider what a painting is, why it matters, and how it is seen.
The prints, which combine woodcut, lithography, screenprint, and collage, reflect the textures of their collage studies, combining metallic inks and foil elements. The painted brushstrokes (drawn on transfer paper for the lithographic plates) retain the directness of the original stroke. To create the foil collage elements, sheets of clear Mylar were coated on the back with pressure-sensitive acrylic adhesive. Metal foil was rolled onto the front of the Mylar using hot-stamping. The prepared sheets were then die-cut, applied to the print, and fixed by running them through the lithography press.
Paintings Series, 1984
1. Two Paintings: Green Lamp (Corlett 201)
2. Painting on Canvas (Corlett 202)
3. Two Paintings (Sleeping Muse) (Corlett 203)
4. Two Paintings (Beach Ball) (Corlett 204)
5. Two Paintings (Corlett 205)
6. Painting in Gold Frame (Corlett 206)
7. Two Paintings: Dagwood (Corlett 207)
8. Painting in Blue and Yellow Wall (Corlett 208)
Auction Market Overview
2025 Auction Highlights
10 lots from Paintings Series sold at auction so far in 2025 for a total turnover of USD 448,341. With 2 lots failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 83%. Two Paintings: Dagwood, from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein, sold at Sotheby’s in New-York, on 26 September 2025 for USD 107,950, a new auction record for this print.
Furthermore, Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein, sold at Sotheby’s in New-York, on 26 September 2025 for USD 82,550, a new auction record for this print.
Two Paintings: Dagwood, 1984
Works from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 26 September 2025
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 107,950
NEW AUCTION RECORD FOR DAGWOOD
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Two Paintings: Dagwood, from the Paintings series (Corlett 207), 1984
Woodcut and lithograph printed in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed, dated ’84 and inscribed AP 2/11 (lower right)
One of 11 artist’s proofs aside from the numbered edition of 60
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, 1984
Works from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 26 September 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 82,550
NEW AUCTION RECORD FOR SLEEPING MUSE
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, from the Paintings series (Corlett 203), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed, dated ’84 and inscribed AP 4/11 (lower right)
One of 11 artist’s proofs aside from the numbered edition of 60
2024 Auction Highlights
Only 1 lot from Paintings Series sold at auction in 2024. Two Paintings: Green Lamp sold at SBI Art Auction, on 28 January 2024 for JPY 6,900,000 (USD 46,560).
Two Paintings: Green Lamp, 1984
SBI Art Auction: 28 January 2024
Estimated: JPY 3,000,000 – 5,000,000
JPY 6,900,000 / USD 46,562
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Green Lamp, from the “Paintings” series (Corlett 201), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, screenprint and collage
Signed, dated and numbered on the lower part
From the edition of 60
2023 Auction Highlights
6 lots from Paintings Series sold at auction in 2023 for a total turnover of USD 249,964. Two Paintings: Dagwood, sold at Heritage Auctions, on 24 October 2023 for USD 65,625, the highest price achieved by a print from the series in 2023.
Two Paintings: Dagwood, 1984
Heritage Auctions: 24 October 2023
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 65,625
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Dagwood, from Paintings, 1984
Woodcut and lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed, dated and editioned 17/60 in pencil along lower edge
2022 Auction Highlights
12 lots from Paintings Series sold at auction in 2022 for a total turnover of USD 587,857. Two Paintings: Dagwood, sold at John Moran, on 1 March 2022 for USD 75,000, the highest price achieved by a print from the series in 2022.
#1. Two Paintings: Dagwood, 1984
John Moran: 1 March 2022
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 50,000
USD 75,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997, American)
Two Paintings: Dagwood, from the Paintings Series, 1984
Color woodcut and lithograph on Arches 88 paper under Plexiglas
Edition 53/60
Signed, dated and numbered in pencil in the lower margin, at right: Roy Lichtenstein
Furthermore, 2 auction records were set in 2022:
- Two Paintings: sold at LA Modern on 29 April 2022 for USD 56,250
- Two Paintings: Green Lamp: sold at Santa Monica Auctions on 6 November 2022 for USD 47,625
Two Paintings, 1984
LA Modern: 29 April 2022
Estimated: USD 55,000 – 65,000
USD 56,250
AUCTION RECORD FOR TWO PAINTINGS
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings, from Paintings Series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screen-print in colors with collage, on Arches 88
Signed, dated and numbered to lower right ’37/60 rf Lichtenstein 84′
Two Paintings: Green Lamp, 1984
Santa Monica Auctions: 6 November 2022
Estimated: USD 35,000 – 45,000
USD 37,500 (Hammer)
USD 47,625
AUCTION RECORD FOR TWO PAINTINGS: GREEN LAMP
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Two paintings: Green Lamp, from Paintings Series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, screenprint and collage in colors on Arches 88 paper
Artist proof outside the numbered edition of 60
Signed, dated and numbered in pencil on recto
2026 Auction Results
Painting in a Gold Frame, 1984
Sotheby’s New-York: 15 April 2026
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 21,760
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Painting in a Gold Frame, from the Paintings series (Corlett 206; RLCR 3317), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors with collage on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 8/60
This impression is number 8 from the edition of 60 plus 11 artist’s proofs
With the blindstamp of the printer and publisher, Gemini G.E.L.
And with their inkstamp on the verso
2025 Auction Results
#1. Two Paintings: Dagwood, 1984
Works from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 26 September 2025
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 107,950
NEW AUCTION RECORD FOR DAGWOOD
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Two Paintings: Dagwood, from the Paintings series (Corlett 207), 1984
Woodcut and lithograph printed in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed, dated ’84 and inscribed AP 2/11 (lower right)
One of 11 artist’s proofs aside from the numbered edition of 60
USD 100,000
#2. Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, 1984
Works from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 26 September 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 82,550
NEW AUCTION RECORD FOR SLEEPING MUSE
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, from the Paintings series (Corlett 203), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed, dated ’84 and inscribed AP 4/11 (lower right)
One of 11 artist’s proofs aside from the numbered edition of 60
#3. Two Paintings: Beach Ball, 1984
Abell: 12 December 2025
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 40,000 (Hammer)
USD 50,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (American, 1923-1997)
Two Paintings: Beach Ball, 1984
from Paintings
Woodcut, lithograph, and screenprint in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed, dated, and numbered 30/60 in pencil to lower margin
Published by Gemini G.E. L., Los Angeles and with their blindstamp
USD 50,000
#4. Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, 1984
Christie’s New-York: 16 April 2025
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 40,320
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, from Paintings Series (Corlett 203), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 20⁄60
(there were also eleven artist’s proofs)
#5. Two Paintings, 1984
Rago: 12 February 2025
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 38,100
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923–1997)
Two Paintings (from the Paintings series) (Corlett 205), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors with collage on Arches 88
Signed, dated and numbered to lower right ‘58/60 rf Lichtenstein ’84’
Two Paintings, 1984
Christie’s New-York: 16 April 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 35,280
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Two Paintings, from Paintings Series (Corlett 205), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, screenprint and collage in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 22⁄60
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, 1984
Christie’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 33,020
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse (Corlett 203), 1984
From Paintings Series
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 11⁄60
(there were also eleven artist’s proofs)
Two Paintings, 1984
Pop Impressions: Prints from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 31,750
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Two Paintings (Corlett 205; RLCR 3388), 1984
From the Paintings series
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors with collage on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed in pencil, dated and inscribed AP 4/11
This impression is one of 11 artist’s proofs aside from the numbered edition of 60
With the blindstamp of the publisher, Gemini G.E.L., and with their inkstamp on the verso
Painting in Gold Frame, 1984
Phillips New-York: 16 April 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 30,480
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Painting in Gold Frame, from Paintings Series (G. 1145, C. 206), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors with collage on Arches paper
Signed, dated and annotated ‘R.T.P.’ in pencil
The right-to-print proof, the edition was 60 and 11 artist’s proofs
Two Paintings: Beach Ball, 1984
Van Ham: 4 June 2025
Estimated: EUR 20,000 – 30,000
EUR 26,400 / USD 30,095
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (New York 1923 – 1997)
Two Paintings: Beach Ball (Corlett 204), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and serigraph on Arches 88
Signed, dated and numbered 13/60
Painting on canvas, 1984
Sotheby’s London: 24 September 2025
Estimated: GBP 12,000 – 18,000
GBP 13,970 / USD 18,795
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Painting on Canvas, from Paintings Series (C. 202), 1984
Woodcut with lithograph and screenprint in colors with collage on Arches 88 paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 26/60
This impression is number 26 from the edition of 60 plus 11 artist’s proofs
2024 Auction Results
#1. Two Paintings: Green Lamp, 1984
SBI Art Auction: 28 January 2024
Estimated: JPY 3,000,000 – 5,000,000
JPY 6,900,000 / USD 46,562
AUCTION RECORD FOR TWO PAINTINGS: GREEN LAMP
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Green Lamp, from the “Paintings” series (Corlett 201), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, screenprint and collage
Signed, dated and numbered on the lower part
From the edition of 60
2023 Auction Results
#1. Two Paintings: Dagwood, 1984
Heritage Auctions: 24 October 2023
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 65,625
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Dagwood, from Paintings, 1984
Woodcut and lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed, dated and editioned 17/60 in pencil along lower edge
#2. Two Paintings: Dagwood, 1984
K Auction: 22 November 2023
Estimated: KRW 59,500,000 – 100,000,000
KRW 68,425,000 / USD 52,824
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Dagwood from Paintings Series, 1984
Lithograph and woodcut on paper
Signed, dated and numbered on the lower right
USD 50,000
#3. Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, 1984
Christie’s London: 27 September 2023
Estimated: GBP 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 30,240 / USD 36,730
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, from: Paintings Series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors on wove paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 10/60
#4. Two Paintings, 1984
Phillips New-York: 20 April 2023
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 35,560
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings, from Paintings Series (G. 1144, C. 205), 1983-1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screen-print in colors with collage, on Arches paper
Signed, dated and numbered 41/60 in pencil (there were also 11 artist’s proofs)
#5. Painting on Blue & Yellow Wall, 1984
Christie’s London: 16 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 12,000 – 18,000
GBP 25,200 / USD 30,410
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Painting on Blue & Yellow Wall, 1984
Woodcut and lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil, inscribed R.T.P, the ready to print proof before the edition of sixty
#6. Two Paintings: Green Lamp, 1984
Heritage Auctions: 24 October 2023
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 28,750
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Green Lamp from Paintings Series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, and screen-print in colors with collage on wove paper
Signed, editioned 12/60, and dated in pencil along lower edge
2022 Auction Results
WORK IN PROGRESS
#1. Two Paintings: Dagwood, 1984
John Moran: 1 March 2022
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 50,000
USD 75,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997, American)
Two Paintings: Dagwood, from the Paintings Series, 1984
Color woodcut and lithograph on Arches 88 paper under Plexiglas
Edition 53/60
Signed, dated and numbered in pencil in the lower margin, at right: Roy Lichtenstein
#2. Two Paintings: Dagwood, 1984
Phillips New-York: 26 October 2022
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 69,300
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Dagwood, from Paintings (G. 1146, C. 207), 1984
Woodcut and lithograph in colors, on Arches paper
Signed, dated and numbered 60/60 in pencil (there were also 11 artist’s proofs)
#3. Two Paintings: Dagwood, 1984
Rago Auctions: 16 June 2022
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 68,750
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Dagwood, from Paintings, 1984
Woodcut and lithograph in colors, on Arches paper
Signed, dated and numbered to lower edge ‘43/60 Roy Lichtenstein 84’
#4. Two Paintings, 1984
LA Modern: 29 April 2022
Estimated: USD 55,000 – 65,000
USD 56,250
AUCTION RECORD FOR TWO PAINTINGS
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings, from Paintings Series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screen-print in colors with collage, on Arches 88
Signed, dated and numbered to lower right ’37/60 rf Lichtenstein 84′
#5. Two Paintings, 1984
Sotheby’s New-York: 21 April 2022
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 52,920
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Two Paintings (Corlett 205), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screen-print in colors with collage
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 49/60 (total edition includes 11 artist’s proofs)
#6. Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, 1984
LA Modern: 20 October 2022
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 51,250
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screen-print in colors
Signed, dated and numbered to lower right margin ‘rf Lichtenstein 56/60 ’84’
USD 50,000
#7. Two Paintings: Green Lamp, 1984
Santa Monica Auctions: 6 November 2022
Estimated: USD 35,000 – 45,000
USD 37,500 (Hammer)
USD 47,625
AUCTION RECORD FOR TWO PAINTINGS: GREEN LAMP
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Two paintings: Green Lamp, from Paintings Series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, screenprint and collage in colors on Arches 88 paper
Artist proof outside the numbered edition of 60
Signed, dated and numbered in pencil on recto
#8. Two Paintings, 1984
Sotheby’s London: 14 September 2022
Estimated: GBP 26,000 – 45,000
GBP 35,280 / USD 40,585
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Two Paintings (C. 205), from the Paintings series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screen-print in colors with collage
Signed in pencil, dated, numbered 2/60
#9. Painting in Gold Frame, 1984
Wright Chicago: 27 January 2022
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 40,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923–1997)
Painting in a Gold Frame (from the Paintings Series), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors with collage on Arches 88
Signed, dated and numbered to lower edge ‘53/60 Lichtenstein 84’
Painting in Gold Frame, 1984
LA Modern : 22 February 2022
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 30,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Painting in Gold Frame from Painting Series, 1984
Lithograph, screen-print, woodcut and collage printed in colors on Arches 88
Signed, dated and numbered to lower right ‘P.P. II rf Lichtenstein 84’
A Printer’s Proof apart from the edition of 60
Painting on Canvas, 1984
Christie’s London: 28 September 2022
Estimated: GBP 10,000 – 15,000
GBP 17,640 / USD 19,092
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Painting on Canvas, from: Painting Series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, screen-print and collage in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 45/60 (there were also 11 artist’s proofs)
Two Paintings: Green Lamp
Two paintings: Green Lamp
from Paintings Series
Medium: Woodcut, lithograph, screenprint and collage in colors on Arches 88 paper
Year: 1984
Image: 35 3/8 x 49 3/4 inches (90 x 126.5 cm)
Sheet: 38 5/8 x 53 inches (98 x 134.7 cm)
Edition: 60
Artist’s Proofs: 11 AP
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Printer: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Literature: Corlett (201), Gemini G.E.L. (1140), RLCR 3391
Signed, dated and numbered in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp
A masterclass in visual wit and compositional duality, Two Paintings: Green Lamp playfully collapses two separate pictorial planes into a single frame. It demonstrates Lichtenstein’s fascination with the artificiality of representation, as well as his deep engagement with the history and practice of painting itself. On the left, we glimpse a stylized, thickly impastoed brushstroke trapped within a painted frame, a recurring Lichtenstein motif that parodies the gestural drama of Abstract Expressionism. On the right, the viewer is presented with a quintessential domestic still life: a green lamp, a fishbowl with dragon motif, an envelope, and a framed photo of a woman, all rendered in Lichtenstein’s iconic flat colors and Ben-Day dots. The green lamp dominates the composition with an unnatural sculptural weight, casting its presence like a silent actor in a frozen narrative.
By juxtaposing a faux–expressionist painting with an ultra-clean still life, Lichtenstein invites the viewer to question what is “real” in art. Are we seeing a painting of a room or a painting of a painting of a room? The metafictional tension is intentional: the artist treats every object, even a brushstroke, as a symbol, breaking painting down into its cultural and semiotic building blocks. Stylistically, the work is typical of Lichtenstein’s 1980s practice: bold black outlines, flat color planes, and a composition that reads almost like a cinematic split screen. The diagonal hatched lines and shadowed table further enhance the illusion of depth, even as they ironically emphasize the flatness of the print itself. This print is a brilliant postmodern statement: Lichtenstein does not merely celebrate painting, he interrogates it, distills it, and lays bare its conventions with surgical precision and irreverent charm. Lichtenstein has creased a visual puzzle and a conceptual wink at the same time, an image that performs painting, questions painting, and pays homage to it all at once.
Auction Results
SBI Art Auction: 28 January 2024
Estimated: JPY 3,000,000 – 5,000,000
JPY 6,900,000 / USD 46,562
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Green Lamp, from the “Paintings” series (Corlett 201), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, screenprint and collage
Signed, dated and numbered on the lower part
From the edition of 60
Heritage Auctions: 24 October 2023
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 28,750
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Green Lamp from Paintings Series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, and screen-print in colors with collage on wove paper
Signed, editioned 12/60, and dated in pencil along lower edge
Santa Monica Auctions: 6 November 2022
Estimated: USD 35,000 – 45,000
USD 37,500 (Hammer)
USD 47,625
AUCTION RECORD FOR TWO PAINTINGS: GREEN LAMP
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Two paintings: Green Lamp, from Paintings Series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, screenprint and collage in colors on Arches 88 paper
Artist proof outside the numbered edition of 60
Signed, dated and numbered in pencil on recto
Clars Auction: 15 September 2019
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 22,000 (Hammer)
USD 27,060
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (American, 1923-1997)
“Two paintings: Green Lamp, from Paintings Series“, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, screenprint and collage in colors on Arches 88 paper
Pencil signed and dated lower right, edition 11/60
Mainichi Auction: 21 October 2017
Estimated: JPY 2,000,000 – 3,000,000
JPY 2,400,000 (Hammer)
JPY 2,796,000 / USD 24,635
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Green Lamp from PAINTINGS SERIES, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, screenprint and collage
Signed
Edition: 8/60
Phillips London: 7 June 2017
Estimated: GBP 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 30,000 / USD 38,890
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two paintings: Green Lamp, from Paintings Series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, screen-print and collage in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed, dated and numbered 16/60 in pencil
Painting on Canvas
Painting on Canvas
from Paintings Series
Medium: Woodcut, lithograph, screenprint and collage in colors on Arches 88 paper
Year: 1984
Sheet: 33 15/16 x 28 15/16 inches (86.2 x 73.5 cm)
Image: 30 7/8 x 25 15/16 inches (78.4 x 65.9 cm)
Edition: 60
Artist’s Proofs: 11 AP
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Printer: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Literature: Corlett 202, Gemini 1141, RLCR 3322
Painting on Canvas, 1984 (RLCR 3322) | Catalogue entry | Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné
Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp
In Painting on Canvas, Roy Lichtenstein constructs a bold and ironic meditation on what it means to paint, by painting a picture of a painting pretending to be painted. It is confusing: that is the whole point. The composition is dominated by a stylized silver frame enclosing a canvas filled with chaotic brushstrokes: an impasto-like swath of ultramarine blue, a swish of green, a drip of grey, and multiple curling lines that parody painterly gestures. The background mimics the texture of raw canvas using dense black Ben-Day dots, reinforcing the illusion of physical surface without actually creating it. Even the silver “frame” is just an image of a frame: flat ink mimicking depth and gloss.
Lichtenstein takes aim at Abstract Expressionism, a movement that had reached near-mythic status in postwar American art. Where Pollock or de Kooning celebrated the authentic, spontaneous gesture, Lichtenstein mechanically reproduces it in a controlled, almost deadpan manner. The dramatic blue stroke, for example, appears expressive but is, in fact, screenprinted, an ironic contradiction between content and medium. By titling the work Painting on Canvas, the artist underlines the disjunction: this is not a painting, but a print pretending to be a painting of a painting on canvas. The artwork becomes an image of itself, a hall of mirrors that gently mocks the sanctity of painting while still clearly loving it. This piece is a pivotal example of Lichtenstein’s self-reflexive genius. Indeed, he does not merely reference art history, but he deconstructs it, rebuilds it in the language of mass production, and offers it back to the viewer as both a critique and an homage.
Auction Results
Sotheby’s London: 24 September 2025
Estimated: GBP 12,000 – 18,000
GBP 13,970 / USD 18,795
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Painting on Canvas, from Paintings Series (C. 202), 1984
Woodcut with lithograph and screenprint in colors with collage on Arches 88 paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 26/60
This impression is number 26 from the edition of 60 plus 11 artist’s proofs
Christie’s London: 28 September 2022
Estimated: GBP 10,000 – 15,000
GBP 17,640 / USD 19,092
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Painting on Canvas, from: Painting Series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, screen-print and collage in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 45/60 (there were also 11 artist’s proofs)
Rago: 19 May 2021
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 16,000
USD 60,000
AUCTION RECORD FOR PAINTING ON CANVAS
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Painting on Canvas, from: Painting Series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, screen-print and collage in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed, dated and numbered to lower right ’16/60 R Lichtenstein 84′
Freeman’s Hindman: 22 May 2019
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 18,000
USD 27,500
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (American, 1923-1997)
Painting on Canvas from Paintings series, 1984
10-color woodcut, lithograph, screenprint and metallic foil on Arches 88 paper
Signed, dated and numbered 38/60 in pencil
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse
from Paintings Series
Medium: Woodcut, lithograph, and screen-print in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Year: 1984
Image: 34 3/4 x 46 inches (88.1 x 116.7 cm)
Sheet:37 7/8 x 49 inches (96.2 x 124.3 cm)
Edition: 60
Artist’s Proofs: 11 AP
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Printer: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Literature: Corlett 203, Gemini 1142, RLCR 3392
Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp and inkstamp on the reverse
In Two Paintings Sleeping Muse, Lichtenstein assembles together three canonical modern works of art, selecting a group of images so immediately recognizable that an abbreviated and simplified representation suffices to signal their source to the viewer. On the canvas to the left, he depicts a Matisse philodendron leaf cut-out above a Brancusi sleeping muse sculpture. On the canvas to the right, he shows the edge of an Abstract Expressionist painting. While these depictions do represent particular artists, they are interpreted through the Lichtenstein eye – flattened, simplified and stylized. By translating each of them into his own language, the artist equalizes them, allows them to be compared at the same level and thus distills what comprises each artist’s style. Furthermore, Lichtenstein collapses three different levels of physicality – a sculpture, a paper cut-out, and a thickly painted picture – into a single plane, rendering them the same when we know that they are different. Furthermore, the painting on the left, illustrating a sculpture on a table in front of a cut-out, is once removed from the original object whereas the painting on the right is the object itself. By cleverly juxtaposing familiar works from art history in an interior context, Lichtenstein creates an intriguing disjunction of reality at multiple levels, while paying homage to his predecessors who similarly grappled with the limits of human perception and of truthfully depicting of the material world.
To the right of the sleeping figure is a riot of vertical bands that simulate various styles: a stripe of faux brushstroke in gray and white (referencing Abstract Expressionism), a yellow and green tangle, and a stylized decorative motif. It looks like multiple historical painting movements (Cubism, Expressionism, and Pop) have been flattened and pressed together on a single sheet. This compositional strategy echoes the “two paintings” motif found throughout the Painting Series, where one image interrupts or overlays another. The illusionistic frame, carefully outlined and shaded, reminds the viewer that he is looking at a painting within a painting, or more precisely, a print pretending to be a painting of a painting that once referenced a painting. Lichtenstein relishes this conceptual game, embedding sly art-historical commentary into the DNA of his work. This print is a prime example of Lichtenstein’s sophisticated postmodern strategy.
Auction Results
Christie’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 33,020
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse (Corlett 203), 1984
From Paintings Series
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 11⁄60
(there were also eleven artist’s proofs)
Works from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 26 September 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 82,550
NEW AUCTION RECORD FOR SLEEPING MUSE
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, from the Paintings series (Corlett 203), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed, dated ’84 and inscribed AP 4/11 (lower right)
One of 11 artist’s proofs aside from the numbered edition of 60
Christie’s New-York: 16 April 2025
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 40,320
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, from Paintings Series (Corlett 203), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 20⁄60
(there were also eleven artist’s proofs)
Christie’s London: 27 September 2023
Estimated: GBP 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 30,240 / USD 36,730
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, from: Paintings Series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors on wove paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 10/60
LA Modern: 20 October 2022
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 51,250
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screen-print in colors
Signed, dated and numbered to lower right margin ‘rf Lichtenstein 56/60 ’84’
Sotheby’s New-York: 28 April 2017
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 23,750
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Sleeping Muse (C. 203), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screen-print in colors
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 21/60
Two Paintings: Beach Ball
With Two Paintings: Beach Ball, Roy Lichtenstein turns the simple delight of a seaside scene into a multi-layered commentary on painting, perception, and mass culture. It showcases his signature fusion of cartoon-like imagery, modernist pastiche, and intellectual rigor, all rendered in a bright, primary palette that belies its complexity.
Two Paintings: Beach Ball
from Paintings Series
Medium: Woodcut, lithograph, and screen-print in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Year: 1984
Image: 37×36 inches (94 x 91.4 cm)
Sheet: 40×39 inches (101.6 x 99.1 cm)
Edition: 60
Artist’s Proofs: 11 AP
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Printer: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Literature: Corlett 204, Gemini 1143, RLCR 3389
Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp
The composition is divided into two horizontal sections. The upper “painting within the painting” is a pop-art seaside fantasy: a beach ball floats amid red Ben-Day dot patterns resembling an abstract shoreline or the body of a reclining figure; yellow strands, perhaps of hair or sun, sweep across the image with theatrical flourish. Clouds and angled blue stripes evoke sky and sea, though the forms verge on the surreal. Framed with a stylized border, this scene gleams with comic-book clarity and irony. Below it, in stark contrast, is a faux-Abstract Expressionist gesture: a gray and black brushstroke writhes atop a Ben-Day dot canvas texture. It mimics spontaneity but, of course, is carefully screenprinted like the rest of the work. Lichtenstein does not only reference action painting, but he renders its most sacred marks as reproducible décor.
Together, these two “paintings” form a visual dialectic. One revels in sunny escapism and cultural kitsch; the other parodies the gravitas of postwar abstraction. Yet both are treated with the same graphic detachment. Lichtenstein flattens distinctions between high and low, serious and silly, original and copy. His beach ball is just as mythic, and as artificial, as the dramatic brushstroke. As part of the Painting Series, this print encapsulates Lichtenstein’s career-long exploration of how images function. He unpacks the languages of painting, strips them of their aura, and re-presents them as if they were pages from a universal visual dictionary.
Auction Results
Abell: 12 December 2025
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 40,000 (Hammer)
USD 50,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (American, 1923-1997)
Two Paintings: Beach Ball, 1984
from Paintings
Woodcut, lithograph, and screenprint in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed, dated, and numbered 30/60 in pencil to lower margin
Published by Gemini G.E. L., Los Angeles and with their blindstamp
Van Ham: 4 June 2025
Estimated: EUR 20,000 – 30,000
EUR 26,400 / USD 30,095
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (New York 1923 – 1997)
Two Paintings: Beach Ball (Corlett 204), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and serigraph on Arches 88
Signed, dated and numbered 13/60
Stockholms Auktionsverk: 17 November 2021
Estimated: SEK 200,000 – 250,000
SEK 460,000 (Hammer)
SEK 575,000 / USD 64,870
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (USA, 1923-1997)
Two Paintings: Beach Ball, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, and screenprint
Signed, dated and numbered 4/60
Phillips New-York: 21 October 2021
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 81,900
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Beach Ball, from Paintings Series (G. 1143, C. 204), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, and screenprint in colors on Arches 88 paper
Signed, dated and numbered 55/60 in pencil (there were also 11 artist’s proofs)
Two Paintings
Two Paintings
from Paintings Series
Medium: Woodcut, lithograph and screen-print in colors with collage on Arches 88 wove paper
Year: 1984
Image: 42 1/2 x 35 7/8 inches (108.2 x 91.1 cm)
Sheet: 41 7/8 x 38 7/8 inches (106.5 x 99 cm)
Edition: 60
Artist’s Proofs: 11 AP
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Printer: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Literature: Corlett 205, Gemini 1144, RLCR 3389
Two Paintings, 1984 (RLCR 3388) | Catalogue entry | Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné
Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp
In Two Paintings, Lichtenstein offers a lively Pop homage to Cubism. This print presents two contrasting paintings in one frame. The lower portion features a portrait of a head in left profile, executed in a pastiche of Picasso-esque motifs: almond eyes and angular features are paired with a jauntily abstract hat. A curvilinear gray frame surrounds this cubist-inspired visage. Meanwhile, the upper portion of the print offers an abstract foil to the portrait below. Against a solid black background, irregular fragments of color are pieced together like a witty stained-glass remix of Synthetic Cubism.
Auction Results
Pop Impressions: Prints from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 23 October 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 31,750
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Two Paintings (Corlett 205; RLCR 3388), 1984
From the Paintings series
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors with collage on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed in pencil, dated and inscribed AP 4/11
This impression is one of 11 artist’s proofs aside from the numbered edition of 60
With the blindstamp of the publisher, Gemini G.E.L., and with their inkstamp on the verso
Christie’s New-York: 16 April 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 35,280
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Two Paintings, from Paintings Series (Corlett 205), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph, screenprint and collage in colors on Arches paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 22⁄60
Rago: 12 February 2025
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 38,100
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923–1997)
Two Paintings (from the Paintings series) (Corlett 205), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors with collage on Arches 88
Signed, dated and numbered to lower right ‘58/60 rf Lichtenstein ’84’
Phillips New-York: 20 April 2023
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 35,560
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings, from Paintings Series (G. 1144, C. 205), 1983-1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screen-print in colors with collage, on Arches paper
Signed, dated and numbered 41/60 in pencil (there were also 11 artist’s proofs)
Sotheby’s London: 14 September 2022
Estimated: GBP 26,000 – 45,000
GBP 35,280 / USD 40,585
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Two Paintings (C. 205), from the Paintings series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screen-print in colors with collage
Signed in pencil, dated, numbered 2/60
LA Modern: 29 April 2022
Estimated: USD 55,000 – 65,000
USD 56,250
AUCTION RECORD FOR TWO PAINTINGS
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings, from Paintings Series, 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screen-print in colors with collage, on Arches 88
Signed, dated and numbered to lower right ’37/60 rf Lichtenstein 84′
Sotheby’s New-York: 21 April 2022
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 52,920
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Two Paintings (Corlett 205), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screen-print in colors with collage
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 49/60 (total edition includes 11 artist’s proofs)
Painting in Gold Frame
Painting in Gold Frame
from Paintings Series
Medium: Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors with collage on Arches 88 wove paper
Year: 1984
Image: 43 x 32 3/4 inches (109.2 x 83.2 cm)
Sheet: 46 1/8 x 35 7/8 inches (117.2 x 91.1 cm)
Edition: 60
Artist’s Proofs: 11 AP
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Printer: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Literature: Corlett 20, RLCR 3317
Painting in Gold Frame, 1984 (RLCR 3317) | Catalogue entry | Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné
Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp
Ornate meets abstract in Painting in Gold Frame, a print that lives up to its title quite literally. Lichtenstein presents an imaginary painting enclosed in a lavish gold frame worthy of a baroque masterpiece: decorative curlicues and gilt edges are rendered with tongue-in-cheek precision. Inside this frame, however, we don’t find a meticulous Old Master tableau but a wild flurry of abstract strokes and swaths of color. These brushy forms evoke the look of spontaneous abstract painting, yet they are deliberately flattened and stylized – printed imitations rather than actual impasto.
Auction Results
Sotheby’s New-York: 15 April 2026
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 21,760
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Painting in a Gold Frame, from the Paintings series (Corlett 206; RLCR 3317), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors with collage on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 8/60
This impression is number 8 from the edition of 60 plus 11 artist’s proofs
With the blindstamp of the printer and publisher, Gemini G.E.L.
And with their inkstamp on the verso
Phillips New-York: 16 April 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 30,480
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Painting in Gold Frame, from Paintings Series (G. 1145, C. 206), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors with collage on Arches paper
Signed, dated and annotated ‘R.T.P.’ in pencil
The right-to-print proof, the edition was 60 and 11 artist’s proofs
LA Modern : 22 February 2022
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 30,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Painting in Gold Frame from Painting Series, 1984
Lithograph, screen-print, woodcut and collage printed in colors on Arches 88
Signed, dated and numbered to lower right ‘P.P. II rf Lichtenstein 84’
A Printer’s Proof apart from the edition of 60
Wright Chicago: 27 January 2022
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 40,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923–1997)
Painting in a Gold Frame (from the Paintings Series), 1984
Woodcut, lithograph and screenprint in colors with collage on Arches 88
Signed, dated and numbered to lower edge ‘53/60 Lichtenstein 84’
Stockholms Auktionsverk: 17 November 2021
Estimated: SEK 150,000 – 175,000
SEK 250,000 (Hammer)
SEK 312,500 / USD 35,255
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (USA, 1923-1997)
Painting in Gold Frame, 1984
Lithograph, screen-print, woodcut and collage
Signed, dated and numbered 4/60
Phillips New-York: 28 October 2016
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 18,000
USD 17,500
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Painting in Gold Frame (Corlett 206) from Painting Series, 1984
Lithograph, screen-print, woodcut and collage printed in colors
Signed in pencil, dated, numbered 60/60
Two Paintings: Dagwood
Two Paintings: Dagwood
from Paintings Series
Medium: Woodcut and lithograph colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Year: 1984
Image: 50 3/4 x 36 inches (128.9 x 91.4 cm)
Sheet: 53 3/4 x 39 inches (136.5 x 99.1 cm)
Edition: 60
Artist’s Proofs: 11 AP
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Printer: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Literature: Corlett 207, Gemini 1146, RLCR 3390
Two Paintings: Dagwood, 1984 (RLCR 3390) | Catalogue entry | Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné
Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp
Two Paintings: Dagwood, 1984 is a vivid, colorful piece that demonstrates the clever work of Lichtenstein’s varied oeuvre. The work is centered around the juxtaposition between subjects that evoke the artist’s own personal and artistic history, as well as the history of art. By placing an abstract Expressionist image next to a cartoon figure, he is calling attention to pop-culture as it continues to emerge and evolve, and the profundity of Abstract Expressionism.
A harsh, vivid yellow that acts as a buffer and separates the two separate works dominates the field of vision, as it bleeds from the strip that runs top to bottom in the center, bits of yellow bustling through the negative spaces in both the left and right sides of the image; Dagwood Bumstead, falling on the right, a look of confusion and suspense contorts his face. On the left, a fragment of yellow is boldly outlined in the upper section of the separate composition. Diagonal lines blend the two compositions, providing them with a familiarity to one another that distracts from an otherwise separated concept.
The character “Dagwood” featured in this image originated during the 1930s in the comic strip, Blondie. Yet, while Lichtenstein uses Dagwood’s likeness in this image, it is appropriated within the context of other elements that we find featured throughout Lichtenstein’s oeuvre – like the white, yellow, and blue paint strokes that we see abstracted in the right side of the image. Dagwood is a technically accomplished print from the “Painting” series, in which Lichtenstein blends the techniques of woodcut and lithography to create a masterly composed image that is readily apparent as his own. Lichtenstein’s unique style proved to be influential for a wide variety of artists, ranging from Richard Price and Jeff Koons to the painter Raymond Pettibon.
Auction Results
Works from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein
Sotheby’s New-York: 26 September 2025
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 107,950
NEW AUCTION RECORD FOR DAGWOOD
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923 – 1997)
Two Paintings: Dagwood, from the Paintings series (Corlett 207), 1984
Woodcut and lithograph printed in colors on Arches 88 wove paper
Signed, dated ’84 and inscribed AP 2/11 (lower right)
One of 11 artist’s proofs aside from the numbered edition of 60
K Auction: 22 November 2023
Estimated: KRW 59,500,000 – 100,000,000
KRW 68,425,000 / USD 52,824
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Dagwood from Paintings Series, 1984
Lithograph and woodcut on paper
Signed, dated and numbered on the lower right
Heritage Auctions: 24 October 2023
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 65,625
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Dagwood, from Paintings, 1984
Woodcut and lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed, dated and editioned 17/60 in pencil along lower edge
Phillips New-York: 26 October 2022
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 69,300
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Dagwood, from Paintings (G. 1146, C. 207), 1984
Woodcut and lithograph in colors, on Arches paper
Signed, dated and numbered 60/60 in pencil (there were also 11 artist’s proofs)
Rago Auctions: 16 June 2022
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 68,750
ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Two Paintings: Dagwood, from Paintings, 1984
Woodcut and lithograph in colors, on Arches paper
Signed, dated and numbered to lower edge ‘43/60 Roy Lichtenstein 84’
John Moran: 1 March 2022
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 50,000
USD 75,000
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997, American)
Two Paintings: Dagwood, from the Paintings Series, 1984
Color woodcut and lithograph on Arches 88 paper under Plexiglas
Edition 53/60
Signed, dated and numbered in pencil in the lower margin, at right: Roy Lichtenstein
Painting on Blue and Yellow Wall
Painting on Blue and Yellow Wall
from Paintings Series
Medium: Woodcut and lithograph in colors on Arches 88 paper
Year: 1984
Image: 44 1/8 x 28 1/2 inches (112.1 x 72.4 cm)
Sheet: 47 1/8 x 31 1/2 inches (119.7 x 80 cm)
Edition: 60
Artist’s Proofs: 11 AP
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Printer: Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Literature: Corlett 208, Gemini 1147
Roy Lichtenstein Catalogue Raisonne: RLCR 3320
Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp
Painting on Blue and Yellow Wall is a bold and dazzling play on surface and illusion, where the artist transforms a flat image into a layered mise en abyme of artistic codes: a painting of a painting, framed by a painting of a wall, masquerading as décor, masquerading as modern art. At the center, a canvas (suggested by the thick, cream-colored border) bursts with energetic brushstrokes in silver, gray, and pastel hues, an artificial echo of Abstract Expressionist freedom. These gestures are overlaid with Lichtenstein’s trademark ribbon-like motifs: cartoonishly curved lines, stylized in black, red, and beige, that parody the physicality and “sincerity” of gestural painting. None of these marks are spontaneous; every line is calculated, screenprinted, mechanized, dripping with irony.
Surrounding the central image is a faux wall, patterned in undulating yellow and blue stripes that resemble both woodgrain and psychedelic wallpaper. It is actually an audaciously loud surface, flattening the illusion of a domestic interior while calling attention to itself as pattern, surface, and symbol. The “wall” becomes part of the painting, and vice versa, eroding the boundary between artwork and environment. Lichtenstein’s genius lies in his ability to question every layer of what we think we are seeing.
Auction Results
Christie’s London: 16 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 12,000 – 18,000
GBP 25,200 / USD 30,410
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Painting on Blue & Yellow Wall, 1984
Woodcut and lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil, inscribed R.T.P, the ready to print proof before the edition of sixty
Bonhams New-York: 31 October 2019
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 20,000
USD 35,075
Woodcut and lithograph in colors on Arches paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 10/60 (there were also 11 artist’s proofs)
Estimated: JPY 1,500,000 – 2,500,000
JPY 2,185,000 / USD 20,105
Painting on Blue and yellow wall (Corlett 208), 1984
Color Woodcut, lithograph on paper
Signed, dated and numbered on the lower right
From the edition of 60
Christie’s New-York: 17 April 2019
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 20,000
USD 21,250
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Painting on Blue and Yellow Wall, 1984
Woodcut and lithograph in colors, on Arches 88 paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered ‘AP 8/11’
An artist’s proof, the edition was 60