Water Lilies with Willows, 1992: By Roy Lichtenstein

  • Image of lily pads and willow branches in flat colour and bold outlines.

    Water Lilies with Willows, 1992.

    Screenprinted enamel on processed and swirled stainless steel.

    Framed: 147.3 x 264.6 cm.

    Edition of 23; plus 1 BAT, 7 AP, 4 PP, 2 Presentation Proofs, 1 NGA archive proof, 2 STA.

    ©The Estate of Roy Lichtenstein.

     

    BACK TO: WATER LILIES SERIES

     

    Roy Lichtenstein's Water Lilies with Willows (1992) is a study of delicate willow branches arching gracefully over a pond dotted with lily pads. Unlike his other Water Lilies works, the vertical and diagonal lines of the drooping willows create a sense of enclosure, framing the floating forms and guiding the viewer’s gaze across the composition. Lichtenstein reduces natural elements to simplified shapes and flat colours, transforming the landscape into a graphic, almost abstract environment.
     
    The lilies are rendered in blue, yellow, and pink tones, while black outlines define each form with precision. The willow branches introduce organic curvature and a subtle sense of movement, contrasting with the stillness of the pond. The composition balances serenity and structure, turning a familiar natural scene into a visually rigorous exploration of surface and pattern.

  • "Art relates to perception, not nature. I'm always trying to tell you that what I do is completely abstract."

    - Roy Lichtenstein

    Water Lilies with Willows is printed in screenprinted enamel on processed and swirled stainless steel, with a reflective surface that interacts with ambient light to subtly shift the appearance of the pond and willow branches, changing as the viewer moves around the piece. This combination of natural motifs and industrial material highlights Lichtenstein’s interest in the intersection of organic forms and mechanical processes.