Roy Lichtenstein Girl 1964 (C.33) For Sale

Roy Lichtenstein’s Girl was one of 62 colour lithographs that illustrated Chinese-American artist Walasse Ting’s poetry book titled 1¢ Life. It appeared alongside illustrations by 28 Abstract Impressionists and Pop Artists that included Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Joan Mitchell. Lichtenstein’s Girl, alongside his adjacent print Spray Can, were his first prints to feature his distinctive Benday dots that would become a signature visual language motif. 

 On page 118 of Wing’s poetry anthology, Lichtenstein playfully illustrates Ting’s poem Around the U.S.A. by depicting a characteristically close-up cartoon-style female face to accompany Ting’s words. The foregrounded figure gives an immediate and intimate impact, with her fetishised features of blue eyes, red lips and curled yellow mane serving as a commentary on the idealistic portrayal of women through America’s mass media and advertising - a prevalent preoccupation throughout Lichtenstein’s work. 

The distribution of his iconic Benday dots give a subtle red pigment to her face and hands and a glassisness to her blue eyes that look out of the frame, elsewhere. The glassy impression - resulting from the Benday dot technique - could also infer tears, hinting at the troubled, distressed comic-book style women threaded throughout Lichtenstein’s work, whilst her coquettish head tilt and parted mouth suggest she’s animatedly caught mid-conversation, creating an intriguing ambiguity to her emotional state. 

1¢ Life, which was published in 1964 and edited by Sam Francis, was originally exhibited at the MoMa in the Autumn of that year. Produced in regular and deluxe editions, both were unbound, enabling the lithographs to be removed individually. The regular edition was published in yellow linen-covered boards, whilst the front cover featured a screen print of a rose by Lichtenstein. With the exception of Robert Indiana’s, which was embossed with his seal, each print was signed by the artist in the deluxe edition, including Lichtenstein’s adjacent Spray Can print that appeared on page 119 and was signed by Lichtenstein in pencil. 

 As a demonstration of his close involvement, Ting established headquarters in Paris for 10 months to supervise the printing of the Girl lithograph, according to E W Kornfield’s essay in the 1¢Life brochure. Ting wrote about the poetry anthology in ARTnews in May 1966, where he vividly described the creation of the 1¢Life book: “Some artists come to Paris to make lithographs. In New York I carry zinc plates to their studios, we drink and laugh… Lichtenstein: Spent two weeks, each hour one dot, looks like gentleman prefer the blonde”.

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Andipa Editions, as part of Andipa, have been at the forefront of the Lichtenstein market for over 20 years. To enquire about buying Girl by Roy Lichtenstein, contact us via sales@andipa.com or on +44 (0) 20 7589 2371.

Sell Girl by Roy Lichtenstein

With a global network of active buyers, Andipa Editions are the place to sell your Girl print. Straight-forward and stress-free, we manage the process on your behalf and help to maximise your return. For a complimentary valuation of your Roy Lichtenstein Girl print, contact us via sales@andipa.com or on +44 (0) 20 7589 2371. Explore our collection of Roy Lichtenstein prints for sale.