Roy Lichtenstein was an American pop artist, and one of the leading figures in the movement. Born in New York in 1923, he would go on to receive a Master of Fine Arts and be a late adopter of abstract expressionism around 1957. He transitioned into pop art when he began including hidden cartoon characters in his abstract works.

Look Mickey (1961)

Lichtenstein is best known for his works that appropriated art from comic books. His style is recognized for hard-edged figures, the use of Ben-Day dots, speech balloons, and other comic imagery. 

Drowning Girl (1963)

Lichtenstein made very close, but not exact copies of comic book art. His line art was always off, and he often changed the text and colours of the images. These changes would result in his works having a different narrative than the originals.

Whaam! (1963)

Lichtenstein became a very controversial artist, as critics questioned his originality. This controversy, however, served only to give him more attention and increased his popularity. Some have argued that Lichtenstein’s appropriating of comic art served to endorse the art world’s patronizing view of comics.

From the height of his prominence, Lichtenstein has achieved fame on a global scale. His works have been highly discussed in the art world, and several of them are displayed in prestigious art museums. Many of his works are sold for tens of millions of dollars, and his most expensive one, sold for $165 million in 2017, is fittingly titled “Masterpiece.” 

Bedroom at Arles (1992)

Lichtenstein moved on from using comics as his source of images around 1965, and began reproducing artworks by master such as Cézanne, Picasso, and Van Gogh.