The Sower, 1985: Print from the Landscapes series by Roy Lichtenstein

  • The Sower, 1985 is a print by Roy Lichtenstein from his Landscapes series
    The Sower, 1985
    Lithograph, woodcut, and screenprint on Arches 88 paper from the Landscapes series, sheet:104.6 x 141 cm
    Edition of 60; plus 11 AP, 1 RTP, 1 PPII, 3 GEL, 1 C, 2 SP
    ©The Estate of Roy Lichtenstein
    BACK TO: LANDSCAPES SERIES
     
    The Sower, 1985 is a print by Roy Lichtenstein from the Landscapes series that interprets a traditional rural subject through bold, gestural brushstrokes. The upper section of the composition is filled with layered shades of green that suggest a stylised landscape or sky. To the left, a large yellow circle built from multiple strokes evokes the sun, introducing a strong focal point within the composition.
     
    In the foreground, a simplified figure appears in sweeping black brushstrokes. The head and twisting torso lean toward the left, while the figure steps forward with extended legs, holding two orange circular forms that suggest seeds being scattered across the land. Printed using lithograph, woodcut and screenprint on Arches 88 paper, The Sower reflects Lichtenstein’s interest in translating expressive painterly gestures into structured printmaking while referencing classical themes of landscape and labour.

  • "Art doesn't transform. Its just plain forms."

    - Roy Lichtenstein

    The Sower, 1985 demonstrates how Roy Lichtenstein often brought together multiple strands of art history within a single image. The large gestural brushstrokes recall the dramatic marks of Abstract Expressionism, while the subject of a farmer scattering seeds references a long tradition of agricultural imagery in Western painting, most famously seen in works such as Jean-François Millet’s The Sower. Lichtenstein reinterprets these influences through his Pop Art language, simplifying the figure and landscape into bold shapes and graphic colour.