Guide to the Catalogue

Welcome to Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné, a digital publication by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation that provides a comprehensive account of all known paintings, sculptures, drawings, collages, prints, commissions and other artworks by Roy Lichtenstein (1923–97). It was launched on the occasion of the artist's centennial in October 2023.

The chapters in this guide outline the scope of our catalogue raisonné project, specify research methodology and resources used, and define the organizational principles that inform the catalogue entries.

The content on these pages was created from documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation's complete or current knowledge. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Dates

The date given for an artwork signifies the date of completion.

When the artist dated a work, this date was used unless research pointed to a different date. Lichtenstein sometimes signed an artwork years after it was created and misremembered the date of creation. He may also have finished a work in December of a year, then signed it in January of the following year. When in doubt, the authors erred toward using the earlier date.

When the artist did not date a work, the catalogue entry reflects the date listed in a primary source, the date of a closely related work, or a date determined by the authors’ research, the latter described in Remarks. When works are dated based on closely related works, circa "c." is added.

Date ranges are typically preceded by "c." to indicate that a work was likely completed within or just outside the range. Ranges given without circa are written as such on the work by the artist. Years are separated by a slash when the artist revisited a project years apart.

Dates written on a work by a registrar or earlier cataloguer are ignored if they differ from the catalogue raisonné team's research.

Dates of Editioned Works

For editioned works dates are given as such:

First, a date of conception, based on the date of a prototype, the last known maquette or the last known preparatory work; second, in parentheses, the date(s) when fabrication was completed.

When casts or pieces were completed over the course of multiple years, the fabrication date is given as a range. A "c." before the conception date or fabrication date(s) indicates uncertainty.

Guide to the Catalogue

Classification

Dates

Dates of Editioned Works

Catalogue Terms & Conditions