Roy Lichtenstein’s Brushstrokes (1967) is a masterful meditation on the very act of painting, simultaneously celebrating and critiquing the gestural energy of Abstract Expressionism. In this work, Lichtenstein isolates and magnifies the sweep of a single brushstroke, transforming what would traditionally be a spontaneous mark into a deliberately composed, graphic, and iconic image. With his signature use of flat, vibrant color, bold outlines, and Benday dot technique, he abstracts the brushstroke into an emblem of artistic expression, rendering the ephemeral and personal into something public and universal.

The painting is at once playful and cerebral. It elevates the ordinary gesture of the painter’s hand to a subject worthy of contemplation, highlighting the tension between mechanical reproduction and individual creativity. By freezing the dynamic motion of the stroke, Lichtenstein invites the viewer to examine the visual rhythm, shape, and energy inherent in each mark, emphasizing both its formal qualities and its cultural resonance.

Created in 1967, during a period when Lichtenstein was deeply engaged with the visual language of comics and mass media, Brushstrokes embodies his fascination with the interplay between high art and popular culture. The work comments on the theatricality and heroism often associated with painting, questioning traditional notions of authenticity, originality, and the artist’s hand. It is both a homage to and a gentle critique of the expressive gestures championed by Abstract Expressionist painters such as Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline.

Brushstrokes remains a signature work in Lichtenstein’s oeuvre, exemplifying his ability to transform a single, simple motif into a powerful exploration of art, culture, and perception. By turning the painter’s intimate gesture into a bold, graphical icon, Lichtenstein creates a work that is visually striking, conceptually rich, and enduringly influential in the discourse of modern art.

Created in 1967, this Lichtenstein pop art screenprint in colors is hand-signed by Roy Lichtenstein (New York, 1923 – New York, 1997) in pencil: ‘rf Lichtenstein’.  Numbered from the edition of 300, this work is published by Original Editions, New York.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Roy Lichtenstein Brushstrokes, 1967 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work).

1. Corlett, Lee Mary. The Prints of Roy Lichtenstein A Catalogue Raisonee 1948-1997. Hudson Hills Press: New York, 1994. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 45 on pg. 82.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.

About the Framing:

Roy Lichtenstein Brushstrokes, 1967 is framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.