Reference Material

Lichtenstein gathered, created and used various types of reference materials. They comprise cartoon and magazine clippings—stored loose or pasted into notebooks—and photographs the artist took on walks through New York City or as part of his studio practice. Most of this material is still held by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation Archives, will soon be digitized, and has been gifted to the Archives of American Art Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 

The catalogue raisonné team has started a review of the large number of these materials and is in the process of adding them to this website. For example, there are between hundreds and thousands of comic, magazine, newspaper and book clipping references.                 

Artist's Research Photographs

The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York holds more than 150 snapshots by the artist. They document how Lichtenstein explored objects, perspective and reflections, as well as architectural elements. See the entire series here. Two prints are located in other collections.    

Untitled (Pyramid). n.d. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection, gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation
Untitled (Pyramid)

n.d.

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection, gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation
Untitled (Still Life). n.d. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection, gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation
Untitled (Still Life)

n.d.

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection, gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation
Untitled (Still LIfe). n.d. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection, gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation
Untitled (Still LIfe)

n.d.

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection, gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation
Untitled (Bull Skull). n.d. . Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection, gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation
Untitled (Bull Skull)

n.d. 

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection, gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation
Untitled (Architecture Study). n.d. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection, gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation
Untitled (Architecture Study)

n.d.

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection, gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation
Untitled (Architecture Study). n.d. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection, gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation
Untitled (Architecture Study)

n.d.

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection, gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation
Untitled (Architecture Study). (RL 1965)
c. 1974 (printed in 1992 from original negative). Provenance
Art Against Aids, Japan, June 1992 (artist donation to benefit the International Program of AMFAR)
Delphine Hirsh, 1997 
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Goldberger and Susan Solomon (by gift)
Exhibitions
(1994 Yokohama Landmark) Landmark Hall, Yokohama, The Artist's Camera: Photographs by Contemporary Artists,  (Itō and Marshall 1994) b/w ill.
Untitled (Architecture Study)

(RL 1965)

c. 1974 (printed in 1992 from original negative)

Provenance

Art Against Aids, Japan, June 1992 (artist donation to benefit the International Program of AMFAR)

Delphine Hirsh, 1997 

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Goldberger and Susan Solomon (by gift)

Exhibitions

(1994 Yokohama Landmark) Landmark Hall, Yokohama, The Artist's Camera: Photographs by Contemporary Artists,  (Itō and Marshall 1994) b/w ill.

Untitled (Mirror). c. 1970/92. Provenance
Harry Lunn, Jr., Washington D.C., 1993 (via BlumHelman Gallery, New York City)
Manfred Heiting
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas. Museum purchase in memory of Isabell Smith Herzstein, The Manfred Heiting Collection
Untitled (Mirror)

c. 1970/92

Provenance

Harry Lunn, Jr., Washington D.C., 1993 (via BlumHelman Gallery, New York City)

Manfred Heiting

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas. Museum purchase in memory of Isabell Smith Herzstein, The Manfred Heiting Collection