Still Life with Lobster, 1974: Still Life print by Lichtenstein

Still Life with Lobster, 1974, presents a densely arranged tabletop scene in which a lobster lies prominently across a bright yellow surface, surrounded by a collection of objects. A bottle, glass, rope, shells, and netting are layered into the composition, while a chair and framed image appear in the background, flattening interior and exterior space into a single plane. The scene is constructed through bold black outlines and diagonal lines, with saturated reds, yellows, greens, and blues creating a striking visual contrast. Objects overlap and compress against one another, producing a tightly controlled, graphic composition that prioritises pattern and surface over depth.

 

Produced as a lithograph and screenprint on BFK Rives paper, the work forms part of Lichtenstein’s Six Still Lifes series, in which he reimagines the traditional still life genre through the visual language of Pop Art. Rather than depicting objects with naturalistic detail, Lichtenstein reduces them to stylised forms and repeated motifs, transforming familiar subject matter into a system of signs. By referencing art historical still life while employing mechanical reproduction techniques, he challenges distinctions between high art and mass culture, emphasising structure, repetition, and the constructed nature of visual representation.