Roy Lichtenstein in 8 key years

Lichtenstein is a major figure in American Pop Art. In 8 dates Artsper traces the career of this extraordinary artist.

1923

Roy was born in New York with a pianist mother and a realtor father. The Lichtenstein family had a set, easy life and belonged to the American upper middle class.

1943

Roy Lichtenstein took a break from his studies in art at the University of Ohio State to serve his country for three years during World War II. During his service, Roy traveled to Europe where he was inspired and continued to paint and draw.

1949

Roy married Isabel Wilson and became a professor for 10 years.

1960

Roy Lichtenstein taught at Rutgers University in New Jersey. This period is crucial for the artist; he began to be interested in the imagery of advertising, comics and started gradually moving towards pop art.

1961

Lichtenstein produced his first work, Look Mickey, consisting of dots and black lines, like a cartoon. The art dealer Leo Castelli exhibited it in his gallery in New York.

1963

Roy divorced Isabel and moved back to New York to be at the heart of the international art scene. The awareness in his work was there and Lichtenstein, with the help of an assistant, set up a mask technique to produce the points of his paintings. The artist also creates sculptures made ​​of plastic or metal. His style is unmistakable.

1989

His canvas Torpedo…Los sells for $5.5 million at Christie’s; a record at that time for a living artist.

1997

Roy Lichtenstein died in New York of complications with pneumonia, leaving more than 4500 works of art that are in circulation worldwide.