“Visible brushstrokes in a painting convey a sense of grand gesture; but in my hands, the brushstroke becomes a depiction of a grand gesture.”
—Roy Lichtenstein
Inspired by both the art historical canon and the scenes of his imagination, Roy Lichtenstein combined cartoonish and realistic brushstrokes for the monumental prints of his Landscape Series. Published by Gemini G.E.L., Lichtenstein’s lithographic and screenprinted brushstrokes retain a certain fluidity, reminiscent of the visible brushstrokes of Impressionism; this naturalism is balanced by the hard edges of the woodcut brushstrokes, which echo the solid, bold lines of Lichtenstein’s comic book interpretations. The great number of colors in each print, as well as the large size of the paper, result in landscapes that echo the multifaceted and textural canvases of Cézanne or Renoir.
Provenance
Sotheby’s, New York, Contemporary Prints, May 19, 1990, lot 1263 Acquired at the above by the present owner
Road Before the Forest, from Landscapes Series (G. 1255, C. 213)
1985 Lithograph, woodcut and screenprint in colors, on Arches paper, with full margins. I. 37 1/8 x 52 1/4 in. (94.3 x 132.7 cm) S. 40 x 55 3/8 in. (101.6 x 140.7 cm) Signed, dated and numbered 32/60 in pencil (there were also 11 artist's proofs), published by Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles (with their blindstamps and inkstamp on the reverse), framed.