BULL II, 1973: Lithograph & linecut print by Roy Lichtenstein

 

Lichtenstein’s Bull II, 1973, is the second print from the Bull Profile series that shows the artist beginning to simplify the image of the bull following the more detailed black and white rendering of Bull I. The animal is defined by a thick black outline that clearly traces the contours of its body. Within this outline, areas of shading are reduced to flat fields of blue, replacing the linear texture seen in the previous work. The bull’s face is constructed from simple black shapes set against a white ground, forming the eyes, nose, ears, and mouth with minimal detail. Behind the figure, the background is composed of blue and white stripes, while a blue shape beneath the animal suggests its shadow.

 

Bull II continues Lichtenstein’s exploration of how a figurative subject can be gradually simplified into graphic forms. Produced using a combination of lithograph and linecut on Arjomari paper, the print reflects the artist’s interest in combining traditional printmaking techniques with the bold visual language associated with Pop Art. By reducing tonal variation and introducing flat areas of colour, Lichtenstein moves the image further away from naturalistic representation and towards a more graphic interpretation of the bull.