Explosion
1967
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
color lithograph on Rives wove paper
Dimensions
sheet: 56 x 43.1 cm (22 1/16 x 16 15/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Roy and Dorothy Lichtenstein
Accession Number
1996.56.33
Art Historical Context
Behold Roy Lichtenstein's *Explosion* (1967), a vibrant color lithograph that captures the explosive energy of his signature Pop Art style. Lichtenstein, a leading figure in the 196s Pop Art movement, drew inspiration from American comic books, enlarging bold panels with meticulous Ben-Day dots to mimic mass-produced imagery. This print evokes the dramatic "explosion" motifs from war comics, transforming everyday pop culture into high art and challenging traditional notions of fine art. Printed on premium Rives wove paper, the lithograph measures 56 x 43.1 cm, showcasing Lichtenstein's master...
About the Artist
Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Lichtenstein was born on October 27, 1923, in New York City to Milton Lichtenstein, a real estate broker, and Beatrice Werner Lichtenstein, a homemaker with musical training, in an upper-middle-class German-Jewish family. Growing up on the Upper West Side, he displayed early artistic talent, sketching jazz musicians and visiting museums like the Museum of Modern Art. In 1939, he studied painti...