D
© Copyrighted Artwork
This artwork is protected by copyright. We cannot display images of works by artists who passed away after 1954.
See the original at Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York
Drowning Girl
by Roy Lichtenstein, 1963
Artwork Details
Details
- Year
- 1963
- Medium
- Oil and synthetic polymer paint on canvas
- Size
- 171.6 cm × 169.5 cm
Cite or Embed This Work
APA · MLA · Chicago1-click academic citation and embeddable “On View” museum badge for articles, syllabi, and research.
Roy Lichtenstein cropped and adapted this image from a 1962 romance comic, showing a woman's face emerging from stylized blue waves. Her thought bubble reads: "I don't care! I'd rather sink than call Brad for help!" The melodrama becomes both parody and genuine emotion at this scale.
Lichtenstein simplified the original panel, removing a boyfriend from the scene and intensifying the colors. The Ben-Day dots, black outlines, and limited palette flatten everything into graphic design. Yet somehow the image retains emotional power, the woman's expression genuinely distressed despite the artificial style.
It hangs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
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About Drowning Girl
It hangs at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York The oil and synthetic polymer paint on canvas work is part of their permanent collection.
Lichtenstein adapted it from "Run for Love!" in DC Comics' Secret Hearts #83 (1962), drawn by Tony Abruzzo.
Yes, he cropped the image and removed a boyfriend who was originally shown. He also simplified and intensified the colors.
The thought bubble reads: "I don't care! I'd rather sink than call Brad for help!" It captures romance comic melodrama.
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