Roy Lichtenstein

Private Collection, New York
Sale: Sotheby's, London, Contemporary Art, 10 February 2006, Lot 252
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Exhibition Catalogue, Milan, Galleria Lawrence Rubin, Roy Lichtenstein's Last Still Life, 1998, no. 3, illustration of another example in colour
Exhibition Catalogue, New York, Lawrence Rubin Greenberg, Van Doren Fine Art, Roy Lichtenstein, 1999, no. 3, illustration of another example in colour
Mary Lee Corlett, Ed., The Prints of Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné 1948-1997, New York 2002, p. 276, no. 308, illustration of another example in colour

Colours: The colours are fairly accurate in the catalogue illustration, although the overall tonality is much brighter and more vibrant in the original with the blue tending more towards IKB, the lid of the box and the red dots more towards burgundy, the red in the centre of the composition more towards light chocolate brown, the green more towards grass green and the grey to the right of the composition more towards true silver. The catalogue illustration fails to register the pale ivory tonality of the form to the left of the lamp and of the white strip just bellow the lamp shade. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There are light handling and rub marks in places around the top and side edges, and wear to the bottom left hand corner of the frame. Close inspection reveals a faint rub mark to the centre of the lamp, a minute scratch mark to the centre of the lamp shade, a rub mark to the centre of the left hand white border, and a rub mark above the centre of the bottom edge. There is a minute media accretion to the blue paint in the right centre of the composition. There is a small spot of retouching to the left section of the top edge of the frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Conceived in 1996 and executed in 1997, Brushstroke Still Life with Lamp in one of the last projects completed by Lichtenstein before his death in September 1997. This instantly recognisable , archetypal image painted at the very end of his career readdresses two important motifs that recur throughout his oeuvre, combining in a single image the still life element that evolved in Lichtenstein's work in the 1970s with his trademark motif of the obliterating brushstroke that become an icon in the Pop era.

Singular among Lichtenstein's print oeuvre, Brushstroke Still Life with Lamp incorporates unique hand-painted brushstrokes on a screen printed base. One of a suite of three prints in process at the time of the artist's death, it was the only one that the artist was able to complete with the addition of the hand-painted stroke. In the present example, the shimmery, metallic blue hand-painted brushstroke that delineates the lower and right parameters of the table forms a visual analogue to the printed brushstrokes in the centre of the composition. Consisting of multiple passes of the brush with different colours painted wet on wet, it forms a visual and textural contrast to the licked, pristine surface of the printed base. Its immediate juxtaposition with the central horizontal block-filled printed brushstroke creates a visual pun on the act of representation, playing with the theme of flatness that informs Lichtenstein's painted oeuvre.