Acrylic, oil, graphite pencil on canvas
48 1/4 x 48 1/4 in. (122.5 x 122.5 cm)
Signed and dated verso, upper left: rf Lichtenstein / 1965; signed and annotated verso, center left: rf Lichtenstein / (re-signed 1993)
Classification: painting

Painting

In this catalogue paintings are classified as follows:

Painting is a work with acrylic and/or oil on canvas or on another two-dimensional support (canvas board, wood panel, etc.)

Painting (mural) is a large-scale painting, historically called "mural"

Painting on paper describes a work in acrylic, oil or watercolor on paper or board

Dates

Lichtenstein usually signed and dated a painting on the verso around the time it was finished, inventoried or shipped to a gallery or storage. Some pre-Pop paintings were dated in code (e.g., RLCR 502). 

See also: 8. DATES

Media Lines

Described are all media visible on a painting's recto. Paint is listed first, followed by graphite pencil where present, followed by the support. An inscription's medium is given beneath the media line if different from the painting media.

Acrylic and Oil Paints

The painting media lines in this catalogue are rarely based on technical analysis by a museum or a conservator. They are mostly informed by conversations with the artist's studio assistants, by examination of paint jars and tubes that were kept after the artist's death and by RLF records or Leo Castelli Gallery files. 

In this catalogue, all types of acrylic paint are listed as "acrylic" and all types of oil paint as "oil."

Historically, the brand name "Magna" (acrylic dispersion paint by Bocour Artist Colors, Inc.) has been used to describe all of Lichtenstein's acrylic. RLF records and technical analysis by art museums confirm that the artist did not only use Magna, but at times Liquitex acrylic emulsion paint and, later, Golden Artist Colors acrylic dispersion paint. When Magna production stopped in c. 1990, Lichtenstein bought up large amounts of Magna. He also reached out to Golden who worked with him to devise custom MSA colors in Lichtenstein's hallmark hues.      

Pop paintings and later works were usually painted with both acrylic and oil. It is assumed that around 1962, Lichtenstein experimented with Liquitex and Magna before adopting Magna as the main medium. For paintings of 1962–63, media lines are informed by notes on RL Studio Cards and/or in the Leo Castelli Gallery inventory. In rare instances, media lines were written by the artist on the verso of a work (e.g., RLCR 691). For paintings of 1964 and beyond, solid colors are assumed to be acrylic and dots and diagonals oil. However, it is possible that Lichtenstein continued his experimentation with paints through and after 1964.

Graphite Pencil Underdrawing

A closer look at Lichtenstein's paintings reveals that graphite pencil underdrawing and palimpsest is visible in most of them, starting in the 1960s. Nevertheless, pencil has not historically been mentioned in the related media lines. Due to the artist's well-known intention that his work not appear "too finished," this catalogue includes pencil in media lines. If in question from examination report results or other documentation, the presence of graphite pencil is assumed. When a researcher's examination report confirms that pencil is not visible, it is not included. 

Painting: Other Mediums and Techniques

Canvas
Different types of canvas are not described. A regular type used was #10 cotton duck from New York Central Art Supply. Circular canvases were at least partially ordered there as well. Earlier paintings' canvases are typically finer and sometimes described as "linen" in studio records. 

Sand
In the Imperfect/Perfect and Entablature paintings, grainy areas are visible. Lichtenstein created this texture by adding beach sand, usually to a thick white underlayer over which he applied the final color. 

Sgraffito
This reductive technique of line-making is found in about 25 pre-Pop paintings. 

Stretchers
Stretchers are not included in media lines. Lebron stretchers were standard orders from c. 1972 on, and were typically delivered assembled. A different stretcher brand was introduced once and quickly abandoned.  

Strip frames
Strip frames are not included in media lines. Slightly raised above the edges, strip frames served as a practical protection during shipment and storage movements and were routinely added to paintings at least from the time James dePasquale became Lichtenstein's assistant.   

Painting on Paper: Other Mediums and Techniques

Masking out
Masking techniques are indicated, but the material used (e.g., frisket, small objects) is not identified (e.g., RLCR 219).

Watercolor application
When it is applied in multiple ways, watercolor application method is described, otherwise brush is implied. For example, see RLCR 365, “Watercolor, brushed, smudged by hand and sprayed, with masking out, graphite pencil on paper." 

Dimensions

Painting dimensions are given from canvas edge to canvas edge, excluding original wood strip frames nailed to the edges. 

For multi-panel paintings, if panels are joined, overall dimensions and dimensions of each canvas are given. If panels are separate, only panel dimensions are provided since overall dimensions vary by installation. Lichtenstein usually suggested a distance of approximately 7 inches between canvases for installation. This fact informed spacing of related images in the catalogue entries (e.g., RLCR 1635). 

See also: 10. DIMENSIONS

Signature, Inscriptions, Marks

The artist usually signed and dated his paintings on the canvas verso in charcoal and applied a spray fixative before sending it to a gallery or storage.  

Pre-Pop paintings are often signed or initialed on the recto in oil, or inscribed with the artist's name and other tombstone information on the stretcher or tacking margin. 

See also: 11. INSCRIPTIONS

Read more: Guide to the Catalogue
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Catalogue entry

Artwork: Brushstrokes, 1965 (RLCR 1024)
RLCR 1024 (LC 318; RL 0375)
Brushstrokes
1965
Title Source
Castelli; RL Studio Card
Media
Acrylic, oil, graphite pencil on canvas
Dimensions
48 1/4 x 48 1/4 in. (122.5 x 122.5 cm)
Inscriptions
Signed and dated verso, upper left: rf Lichtenstein / 1965; signed and annotated verso, center left: rf Lichtenstein / (re-signed 1993)
Examination Notes

Tacking margin partially inaccessible.

Remarks

Per Castelli inventory, the current title replaces a crossed out earlier title, Abstract Expressionism.

Provenance
Mr. and Mrs. Bagley Wright, Seattle, June 1965 (via Leo Castelli Gallery, New York City; partially purchased with credit received in exchange for RLCR 847, Dawning)
(...)
Andrew Crispo Gallery, New York City
Private collection, c. 1982
Stephen Mazoh & Co., Inc., Rhinebeck, N.Y., June 1993
Private collection, Stockholm, September 2002 (via Peder Bonnier, Inc., New York City)
Exhibitions
1969 New York Guggenheim
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Roy Lichtenstein, September 19–November 9, 1969 (only Seattle) (Waldman 1969). Traveled to: William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art and Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts, Kansas City, Missouri, December 18, 1969–January 16, 1970; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, February 7–March 22, 1970; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, April 10–May 17, 1970; Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, Columbus, Ohio, July 9–August 30, 1970.
2001 New York Mitchell-Innes & Nash
Mitchell-Innes & Nash (1018 Madison Avenue), New York, Roy Lichtenstein: Brushstrokes, Four Decades, November 1, 2001–January 12, 2002 (only Zurich) (Hickey 2001). Traveled to: De Pury und Luxembourg, Zurich, March 13–June 18, 2002 (Hickey 2002, no. 3 n.p. color ill.).
2003 Humlebaek Louisiana
Louisiana Museum of Art, Humlebaek, Denmark, Roy Lichtenstein: All about Art, August 22, 2003–January 18, 2004 (only Humlebaek, San Francisco) (Holm, Tøjner, and Caiger-Smith 2003a, no. 24 n.p. color ill.). Traveled to: Hayward Gallery, London, February 26–May 16, 2004 (as Roy Lichtenstein); Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, June 24–September 27, 2004 (as Roy Lichtenstein) (Holm, Tøjner, and Caiger-Smith 2003b, no. 24 n.p. color ill.); San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, October 20, 2004–February 22, 2005 (as Roy Lichtenstein) (Holm, Tøjner, and Caiger-Smith 2003b, no. 24 n.p. color ill.).
2012 Chicago Art Institute
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective, May 16–September 3, 2012 (Rondeau and Wagstaff, Sheena 2012, no. 47 n.p. color ill.). Traveled to: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., October 14, 2012–January 13, 2013; Tate Modern, London, February 21–May 27, 2013 (as Lichtenstein: A Retrospective) (Dunne 2012, no. 41 p. 55 color ill.); Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou, Paris, July 3–November 4, 2013 (as Roy Lichtenstein, revised and reorganized) (Dunne 2013, no. 41 p. 55 color ill.); (Pompidou 2013, p. 17 color ill.); (Morineau 2013a, no. 24 p. 128 color ill.).
Literature
Alfieri 1966
Alfieri, Bruno. "Diario critico (II)/A Critic's Journal (II)." Translated from the Italian by Lucia Krasnik. Metro (Milan), no. 10 (1966), no. 3 p. 6 b/w ill.
Boatto 1967
Boatto, Alberto. Pop Art in U.S.A.: Dichiarazioni di Dine, Johns, Lichtenstein, Oldenburg, Rauschenberg, Rosenquist, Segal, Warhol. Milan: Lerici, 1967, n.p. b/w ill. (as Abstract Expressionism).
Waldman 1971b
Waldman, Diane. Roy Lichtenstein. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1971, no. 134 n.p. b/w ill.
Lipman and Marshall, R. 1978
Lipman, Jean, and Richard Marshall. Art About Art. New York: Whitney Museum of American Art, 1978. Exhibition catalogue (1978 New York Whitney), n.p. following p. 37 b/w ill. [not exhibited].
Hendra 1993
Hendra, Tony. Brad '61: Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man. New York: Pantheon Books, 1993, p. 72 color ill.
Tomkins 1993
Tomkins, Calvin (Photographs by Bruce Weber). "The Prince of Pop." Edited by Hamish Bowles. Vogue 183, no. 9 (September 1993), p. 519 color ill. (detail).
Waldman 1993b
Waldman, Diane. Roy Lichtenstein. New York: Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, 1993. Exhibition catalogue (1993 New York Guggenheim), no. 126 n.p. facing p. 151 color ill. [not exhibited].
Waldman 1994
Waldman, Diane. Roy Lichtenstein. Translated from the English by Bram Opstelten and Magda Moses. New York: Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, 1994. Exhibition catalogue (1993 New York Guggenheim), no. 126 n.p. facing p. 151 color ill. [not exhibited].
Rosenthal, M. 1995
Rosenthal, Mark. Critiques of Pure Abstraction. New York: Independent Curators Incorporated, 1995. Exhibition catalogue, fig. 3 p. 15 b/w ill. [not exhibited].
Lobel 2002
Lobel, Michael. Image Duplicator: Roy Lichtenstein and the Emergence of Pop Art. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002, no. 102 p. 163 color ill.
Louisiana revy 2003
Louisiana revy (Humlebaek, Denmark). Special issue, Roy Lichtenstein 44, no. 1 (August 2003), no. 24 n.p. color ill.
Collins, B. 2003
Collins, Bradford R. "Modern Romance: Lichtenstein's Comic Book Paintings." American Art (New York) 17, no. 2 (Summer 2003), no. 20 p. 82 b/w ill.
Princeton 2007
Princeton University Art Museum. Pop Art: Contemporary Perspectives. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Art Museum, 2007. Exhibition catalogue (2007 Princeton Art Museum), p. 57 b/w ill. [not exhibited].
Bader 2009
Bader, Graham, ed. Roy Lichtenstein. October Files 7. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2009, p. 90 b/w ill.
Mercurio 2010a
Mercurio, Gianni, ed. Lichtenstein: Kunst als Motiv. Translated from the English. Cologne: DuMont, 2010. Exhibition catalogue (2010 Milan Triennale), p. 73 color ill., fig. 122 p. 337 color ill. [not exhibited].
Bader 2010b
Bader, Graham. Hall of Mirrors: Roy Lichtenstein and the Face of Painting in the 1960s. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2010, no. 3.26 p. 128 b/w ill.
Dervaux 2010b
Dervaux, Isabelle. Roy Lichtenstein: The Black-and-White Drawings, 1961–1968. Ostfildern, Germany: Hatje Cantz in association with the Morgan Library & Museum, New York, 2010. Exhibition catalogue (2010 New York Morgan), fig. 12 p. 49 color ill. [not exhibited].
Mercurio 2010c
Mercurio, Gianni, ed. Roy Lichtenstein: Meditations on Art. Milan: Skira; distributed by Rizzoli, New York, 2010. Exhibition catalogue (2010 Milan Triennale), p. 73 color ill., fig. 122 p. 337 color ill. [not exhibited].
Mercurio 2010d
Mercurio, Gianni, ed. Roy Lichtenstein: Meditations on Art. Milan: Skira Editore, 2010. Exhibition catalogue (2010 Milan Triennale), p. 73 color ill., fig. 122 p. 337 color ill. [not exhibited].
Bader 2011a
Bader, Graham. "Emptied Gesture: Roy Lichtenstein's 'Brushstrokes.'" Artforum International 49, no. 10 (Summer 2011), p. 350 color ill.
Dervaux 2011b
Dervaux, Isabelle. Roy Lichtenstein: Black & White, 1961–1968. Translated from the English by Andrea Bargenda, Barbara Holle, Marion Kagerer, Christian Quatmann, and Heike Reissig. Ostfildern, Germany: Hatje Cantz in association with the Morgan Library & Museum, New York, 2011. Exhibition catalogue (2010 New York Morgan), fig. 12 p. 53 color ill. [not exhibited].
Faton-Boyancé 2013
Faton-Boyancé, Jeanne, ed. L'objet d'art. Special issue, Roy Lichtenstein exposition au Centre Pompidou, no. 69 (July 2013), p. 22 color ill., back cover color ill. (detail).
Morel 2013
Morel, Francis, ed. Connaissance des arts. Special issue, Roy Lichtenstein, no. 589 (July–August 2013), back cover color ill.
Pommereau 2013
Pommereau, Claude, ed. Roy Lichtenstein au Centre Pompidou. Issy-les-Moulineaux, France: Beaux Arts Éditions, 2013, pp. 42–43 color ill. (double spread).
Entry Updated October 20, 2023