Roy Lichtenstein

Q: What are Ben-Day dots in Lichtenstein's work?

Ben-Day dots are the tiny colored dots used in commercial printing to create shading and secondary colors. Lichtenstein painted them by hand at enormous scale, turning a mechanical process into a signature artistic technique.

Q: Where can I see Roy Lichtenstein paintings?

Major works are at MoMA in New York, Tate Modern in London, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, and The Broad in Los Angeles.

Q: What art movement was Lichtenstein part of?

Lichtenstein was a leading figure of Pop Art, which emerged in the early 1960s alongside Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, and James Rosenquist. The movement drew from advertising, comics, and consumer culture.

American·1923–1997

Roy Lichtenstein

American

1923–1997

Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) was an American Pop Art painter who turned comic book panels into monumental paintings. Born in New York, he studied at the Art Students League and Ohio State University before teaching and painting in a loosely Abstract Expressionist style through the 1950s.

Everything changed in 1961 when he painted Look Mickey, based on a Disney comic. His large-scale paintings mimicked commercial printing with Ben-Day dots, bold outlines, and primary colors. Works like Whaam! and Drowning Girl became Pop Art icons alongside Warhol's soup cans. Our collection includes 4 works by Lichtenstein at museums including MoMA and Tate Modern.

Notable Works by Roy Lichtenstein

4 paintings catalogued with museum locations

M© CopyrightedImage cannot be shown

Masterpiece

Roy Lichtenstein, 1962

Private Collection, Unknown

W© CopyrightedImage cannot be shown

Whaam!

Roy Lichtenstein, 1963

Tate Modern, London, London

Museums with Roy Lichtenstein's Work

3 museums display Lichtenstein's works. Click any museum to see visiting info and the specific works they hold.

Private Collection

Unknown, Unknown

1 work on display

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

New York, USA

2 works on display

Tate Modern, London

London, UK

1 work on display

About Roy Lichtenstein

Ben-Day dots are the tiny colored dots used in commercial printing to create shading and secondary colors. Lichtenstein painted them by hand at enormous scale, turning a mechanical process into a signature artistic technique.

Major works are at MoMA in New York, Tate Modern in London, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, and The Broad in Los Angeles.

Lichtenstein was a leading figure of Pop Art, which emerged in the early 1960s alongside Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, and James Rosenquist. The movement drew from advertising, comics, and consumer culture.

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