Mirrors 2, 1972: Print by Lichtenstein from the Mirrors series

  • Roy Lichtenstein *Mirror #2* (1972), circular abstract composition with blue Ben-Day dots, minimal coloured arcs, and clean graphic lines.
    Mirror #2, 1972
    Linecut and screenprint with embossing on Arjomari paper, sheet: 71.1 x 71.1 cm
    Edition of 80; plus 10 AP, 1 RTP, 1 PPII, 3 GEL, 1 C
    ©The Estate of Roy Lichtenstein
    BACK TO: MIRROR SERIES
     
    Mirror #2, 1972, exemplifies Roy Lichtenstein’s exploration of perception, illusion, and the limits of representation. Rendered as a circular form, the composition suggests the presence of a reflective surface, yet offers no true reflection. Instead, Lichtenstein constructs the image through Ben-Day dots, linear divisions, and sparse bands of colour, creating a highly controlled abstraction that only reads as a “mirror” through suggestion. The work plays on the tension between recognition and artifice, prompting the viewer to question how meaning is assigned to simplified visual cues.
     
    Technically, the print demonstrates Lichtenstein’s precision in combining linecut and screenprint with embossing, resulting in a crisp, mechanical surface that reinforces the industrial aesthetic central to his practice. The restrained palette and minimal composition push the image toward near-total abstraction, aligning with his interest in how far an object can be reduced while still retaining its identity. In doing so, Mirror #2 becomes less about reflection itself and more about the language of representation, positioning the mirror as a conceptual device rather than a functional object.

  • "I wasn't sure pop art or my work would last more than six months." 

    - Roy Lichtenstein

    Lichtenstein avoids using reflective materials, instead constructing the idea of reflection through purely graphic means. By relying on Ben-Day dots, sharp linear divisions, and subtle shifts in density and spacing, he mimics the visual distortion and tonal variation we associate with reflected surfaces. The effect is entirely conceptual: the “reflection” exists not as a physical property, but as a visual code that the viewer instinctively reads. This approach reinforces Lichtenstein’s broader interest in how images are manufactured, demonstrating that even something as materially dependent as reflection can be convincingly conveyed through the language of mechanical reproduction.