Entablature V, 1976: Print by Roy Lichtenstein from the Entablature series

  • Roy Lichtenstein Entablature V (1976), screenprint, lithograph and collage with embossing, featuring horizontal bands of blue, black and dotted patterning above a raised white ornamental frieze with scrolling architectural motifs.
    Entablature V, 1976
    Screenprint, lithograph, collage with embossing on BFK Rives paper, sheet: 74.1 x 114 cm
    Edition of 30; plus 9 AP, 1 RTP, 1 PPI, 1 A, 2 CTP
    ©The Estate of Roy Lichtenstein
    BACK TO: ENTABLATURE SERIES
     
    Entablature V, 1976, continues Lichtenstein’s investigation of architectural ornament, presenting a layered composition that transitions from flat graphic bands to a richly textured lower section. The upper registers are defined by bold blue and black fields, punctuated by Ben-Day dots and linear detailing that reinforce his signature visual language. These elements appear controlled and mechanical, evoking the clarity of printed imagery and industrial design.
     
    In contrast, the lower portion introduces a sculptural quality through embossing, where intricate scrollwork emerges in relief across the surface. This interplay between flatness and depth is central to the series, as Lichtenstein translates decorative façade details into a hybrid of image and object. By isolating and reconfiguring these motifs, he transforms architectural fragments into autonomous compositions, emphasising repetition, materiality and the tension between ornament and industrial production.

  • "Art doesn't transform. It's just plain forms" 

     

    - Roy Lichtenstein

    Organised through horizontal bands, the work moves from bold, flat colour and patterned surfaces into a more intricate, embossed section that evokes classical ornament. By simplifying and isolating these elements, Lichtenstein removes their original context and repositions them as autonomous forms, where repetition, structure and surface become the primary focus. The result is a work that bridges decorative tradition and industrial precision, characteristic of his broader exploration of image-making and reproduction.