Haystack #6 State I, 1969: Lithograph on paper by Roy Lichtenstein

  • Haystack #6, State I is a print by Roy Lichtenstein showcasing a haystack pritn in blue and black
    Haystack #6, State I, 1969
    Lithograph on Special Arjomari paper, sheet: 52.5 x 78.1 cm
    Edition of 13; plus 1 RTP
    ©The Estate of Roy Lichtenstein
     BACK TO: HAYSTACK & CATHEDRAL SERIES

     

    Roy Lichtenstein’s Haystack #6, State I, 1969, offers a refined variation within the Haystack series, presenting the composition in a deep blue and black palette. Using Ben-Day dots, Lichtenstein constructs the haystack forms through subtle tonal shifts, where darker black passages emerge from a dense blue ground. The image appears more subdued and atmospheric, with the forms dissolving into the surface rather than standing clearly apart from it.
     
    As a state proof, this work highlights Lichtenstein’s precise approach to printmaking and his interest in controlled variation. The reduced colour range intensifies the focus on contrast, pattern, and repetition, allowing the viewer to engage more closely with the mechanics of image construction. Compared to the more vivid red version of Haystack #6, this state introduces a cooler, more restrained mood, reinforcing the series’ exploration of how colour alone can transform perception.

  • "All my art is in some way about other art, even if the other art is cartoons.”

     

    - Roy Lichtenstein

    Lichtenstein’s Haystack series (1969) was inspired by his encounter with Claude Monet’s 1891 haystack paintings, a defining moment in early modern art. As throughout his career, Lichtenstein draws on both canonical artists such as Pablo Picasso and the visual language of popular culture, treating them with equal significance. By reworking Monet’s subject through Ben-Day dots and mechanical processes, he challenges traditional distinctions between high art and mass imagery, demonstrating that meaning lies in context and transformation.