Finger Pointing
Finger Pointing
Unsigned Print
Roy Lichtenstein
£9,000-£13,500 VALUE (EST.)
$17,000-$26,000 VALUE (EST.)
$15,000-$23,000 VALUE (EST.)
¥80,000-¥120,000 VALUE (EST.)
€10,500-€16,000 VALUE (EST.)
$90,000-$130,000 VALUE (EST.)
¥1,560,000-¥2,340,000 VALUE (EST.)
$11,000-$17,000 VALUE (EST.)
This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
Screenprint, 1973
Unsigned Print Edition of 300
H 30cm x W 23cm
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Artwork | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2022 | Wright - United States | Finger Pointing - Unsigned Print | |||
| June 2022 | Phillips London - United Kingdom | Finger Pointing - Unsigned Print | |||
| March 2022 | Tate Ward Auctions - United Kingdom | Finger Pointing - Unsigned Print | |||
| December 2019 | Karl & Faber - Germany | Finger Pointing - Unsigned Print | |||
| October 2019 | Freeman's - United States | Finger Pointing - Unsigned Print | |||
| February 2019 | Christie's New York - United States | Finger Pointing - Unsigned Print | |||
| November 2018 | Wright - United States | Finger Pointing - Unsigned Print |
Meaning & Analysis
Roy Lichtenstein’s Finger Pointing from 1973 was commissioned for the Experiments in Art and Technology group’s The New York Collection for Stockholm portfolio. The work appropriates as its main composition an iconic symbol of American nationalism and militarism. This coloured screen print on wove paper belongs to a limited edition of 300.
Mirroring the reduced pictorial qualities of Spray Can and Pistol, Finger Pointing is one of Lichtenstein's early ventures into capturing essential shapes. The work borrows an iconic symbol of American nationalism and militarism: Uncle Sam, who appeared on recruitment posters during the war. Only Uncle Sam’s hand, wrist, and pointed finger survive Lichtenstein’s appropriation. The artist utilises a zoomed-in perspective and partial cropping, previously also implemented in Foot And Hand from the early 1960s amongst other works. In doing so, Lichtenstein invokes a repressed sense of underlying tension.
The riveting composition is rendered in bold outlines and a vibrant red, black, and white colour palette. Rendered through the idealised nature of print advertisements, the image makes an already assertive gesture seem even more aggressive. Lichtenstein generalises the familiar visual, thereby expanding its range of meaning.
