Two Paintings, 1984: Print by Roy Lichtenstein from the "Paintings" series

  • Two Paintings, 1984 is a print by Roy Lichtenstein depicting the corner of twp paintings in ornate frames
    Two Paintings, 1984
    Woodcut, lithograph, screenprint, and collage on Arches 88 paper, sheet: 116.5 x 99.2 cm
    Edition of 60; plus 11 AP, 1 RTP, 1 PPII, 3 GEL, 1 C, 1 NGA
    ©The Estate of Roy Lichtenstein
    BACK TO: "PAINTINGS" SERIES
     
    Two Paintings, 1984 is a print by Roy Lichtenstein from the Paintings series that explores the idea of viewing artworks within an artwork. Set against a black wall, the composition presents two framed paintings stacked vertically. The lower painting sits within an ornate grey and white frame with decorative embellishments and depicts a stylised geometric portrait. The face is formed from red Ben-Day dots and features simplified elements including two eyes, arched eyebrows and a small smile. Above the head sits a hat constructed from bold geometric shapes in white, dark green and red, from which three black flowers extend outward. To the left of the frame, a section of yellow and black stripes introduces a graphic contrast typical of Lichtenstein’s Pop Art style.
     
    The upper painting partially appears above the first, revealing a composition of brightly coloured geometric shapes in green, blue, black and red, alongside sections of red and white stripes. By placing one painting above another, Lichtenstein emphasises the idea of framed imagery as an object in itself while also highlighting his interest in bold colour, pattern and simplified forms. Produced using woodcut, lithograph, screenprint and collage on Arches 88 paper, the work demonstrates the artist’s continued exploration of how painting, design and printmaking intersect.

  • "I think that most people think painters are kind of ridiculous, you know?"

    - Roy Lichtenstein

     

    Lichtenstein famously incorporated Ben-Day dots into his work as a defining visual device. Borrowed from commercial printing and comic books, the small, evenly spaced dots were originally used to create shading and colour in inexpensive mass-produced imagery. Lichtenstein enlarged and carefully reproduced this mechanical technique by hand, transforming it into a central element of his Pop Art style. By doing so, he blurred the boundary between fine art and popular culture, using Ben-Day dots not only to reference printed media but also to emphasise flatness, pattern and graphic clarity within his compositions.