Roy Lichtenstein (American, 1923–1997)
Explosion, 1967
Lithograph in colors on Rives wove paper
22 1/16 × 17 in. (56 × 43.1 cm)
Signed in pencil “rf Lichtenstein” lower right and inscribed “AP” lower left
Artist’s Proof from an edition of 10 APs, aside from the numbered edition of 100, 20 Roman-numeral proofs, and trial proofs
Printed and published by Hollander Workshop, New York
From Portfolio 9
Corlett 49; RLCR 1313
PRICE: on request
Description
Created in 1967 at the height of Roy Lichtenstein’s breakthrough Pop Art period, Explosion distills many of the visual devices that made the artist one of the defining figures of postwar American art.
Radiating lines, brilliant primary colors, Ben-Day dots and an explosive central burst transform the visual vocabulary of comic books into a sophisticated fine-art composition. The image relates directly to Lichtenstein’s celebrated paintings of explosions and dramatic comic-book imagery from the 1960s, when he was challenging traditional distinctions between commercial illustration and fine art.
This impression is particularly desirable as an Artist’s Proof (AP), one of only 10, aside from the regular edition of 100. It is signed in pencil with Lichtenstein’s distinctive “rf Lichtenstein” signature and marked “AP.”
Explosion was created as part of Portfolio 9, an important 1967 print project that also included works by Willem de Kooning, Sam Francis, Robert Motherwell, Louise Nevelson, Henry Pearson and Saul Steinberg.
Examples of Explosion are represented in major institutional collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
With its unmistakable Pop imagery, strong primary palette and relatively intimate scale, Explosion is an especially approachable example of Lichtenstein’s iconic 1960s graphic work.
