Entablature III, 1976: Screenprint and collage on paper

  • Roy Lichtenstein Entablature III (1976), screenprint and collage with embossing, featuring horizontal bands of stylised architectural ornament with black geometric patterning, rope-like detailing, and a reflective gold frieze with central circular motif o
    Entablature III, 1976
    Screenprint and collage with embossing on BFK Rives paper, sheet: 74.1 x 114 cm
    Edition of 16; plus 9 AP, 1 SP, 1 RTP, 1 PPI, 1 A
    ©The Estate of Roy Lichtenstein
     
    BACK TO: ENTABLATURE SERIES
     
    Entablature III, 1976, exemplifies Roy Lichtenstein’s sustained engagement with architectural imagery, translating classical façade details into a highly controlled, graphic composition. The work is structured through horizontal bands that echo the layered construction of entablatures found on historic buildings, yet here they are stripped of context and rendered as flat, repeatable units. Bold black patterning and rope-like motifs sit above a wide expanse of metallic gold, creating a visual repetition that is both decorative and mechanical.
     
    The lower section, with its embossed gold surface and central circular form, introduces a sense of depth and material presence that contrasts with the crisp, linear precision above. Lichtenstein’s use of collage and embossing pushes the print beyond flatness, emphasising texture while maintaining the illusion of industrial finish. By isolating and standardising these architectural elements, he reframes ornament as a product of modern fabrication, reinforcing his broader exploration of repetition, surface, and the visual language of mass production.

  • "I'm excited about seeing things, and I'm interested in the way I think other people saw things." 

     

    - Roy Lichtenstein

    Lichtenstein’s Entablature series centres on texture and material as much as image, using metallic inks, foils, and embossing to replicate the tactile qualities of architectural ornament. Drawing from machined details observed on New York buildings, the works translate classical decoration into a language shaped by industrial processes and modern fabrication. Rather than celebrating ornament as a marker of historical style, Lichtenstein reframes it as a product of technology and reproduction.