The second print in Roy Lichtenstein’s Surrealist series, At the Beach, merges a surreal dreamscape with the artist’s iconic Pop art elements, characterised by bold primary colours, patterns, and graphic forms.
The scene depicts a figure lounging on the beach, her elongated, jelly-like limbs appearing to melt into the sand. With a languid gaze from beneath a cascade of wavy golden hair—evocative of Lichtenstein’s cartoon-style heroines—she cradles a spilled glass of wine in one hand while a bucket rests by her feet. The vivid blue of the wine and the bright yellow of the starfish create striking pops of colour against the monochrome black and white stripes that form part of her body, contributing to the dizzying, surreal effect of the print.