Roy Lichtenstein Still Life with Picasso For Sale

Roy Lichtenstein’s screenprint Still Life with Picasso was created in 1973 - the year of Pablo Picasso’s death - for the Hommage à Picasso portfolio, which contained work by 69 contemporary artists to honour the life of the infamous Spanish painter. Lichtenstein’s contribution, made on Arches 88 paper from an edition of 90 which were signed, dated and numbered, was included in Volume 4. 

Still Life with Picasso depicts a figure on the left side peering at a still life scene; the inclusion of a curtain on the left to conceal or reveal suggests a surreptitiousness to the setting, with the curved edge of the curtain suggesting it is being held open. The fixed, gazing eye and pursed lips of the figure depict an unflinching attentiveness. 

There is a concentration of colour on the right side – with the red and yellow seen in the striped curtain fabric, blue Benday dots on the jug and paintbrushes, solid red apple and vivid yellow colouring of the bananas and grapes. The bold colouring gradually dissipates – evident in the evolution of the treatment of colour on the jug: painterly brushstrokes of red and yellow at the front of the jug, then the light peppering of Benday dots in the middle before the jug becomes monochrome. 

The absence of colour on the figure’s face and white backdrop on the right hand half of the print evokes a ghostly quality, as though Lichtenstein is evoking Picasso’s phantom-like figure which is now devoid of life or colour. The positioning of the figure behind the still life scene and partially painted jug perhaps suggests the still life sketch has been left partially complete by the Spanish painter. The unpolished nature of the print with its partially coloured jug and abrupt absence of colour on the left is perhaps suggestive of Picasso’s unfinished body of work in a print that pays tribute to the creator of Cubism.

The simplistic rendering of the figure’s face imitates Picasso’s style, whilst Lichtenstein’s signature motifs such as the heavy black outline of the figure’s features, Benday dots and primary colours, infuse the print with a pastiche of styles. The freer, more painterly strokes – seen in the curls of the figure’s hair, lips, lashes, collar and fruit – are a departure from Lichtenstein’s more angular, abstract renderings.  This combination of styles – merging painterly with print – blends both Lichtenstein and Picasso’s signature styles, creating a dialogue between the two artists. 

As a life-long admirer of Picasso’s work, Lichtenstein said: “Picasso’s always been such a huge influence that I thought when I started the cartoon paintings that I was getting away from Picasso, and even my cartoons of Picasso were done to rid myself of his influence. I don’t think that I’m over his influence but they probably don’t look like Picassos; Picasso himself would probably have thrown up looking at my pictures”.

Buy Roy Lichtenstein Still Life with Picasso

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

Sell Still Life with Picasso by Roy Lichtenstein

With a global network of active buyers, Andipa Editions are the place to sell your Still Life with Picasso 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 Still Life with Picasso print, contact us via sales@andipa.com or on +44 (0) 20 7589 2371. Explore our collection of Roy Lichtenstein prints for sale.