On
Signed Print
Roy Lichtenstein
£15,000-£23,000 VALUE (EST.)
$28,000-$40,000 VALUE (EST.)
$25,000-$40,000 VALUE (EST.)
¥130,000-¥200,000 VALUE (EST.)
€17,000-€26,000 VALUE (EST.)
$150,000-$220,000 VALUE (EST.)
¥2,420,000-¥3,720,000 VALUE (EST.)
$19,000-$28,000 VALUE (EST.)
This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
Etching, 1962
Signed Print Edition of 60
H 15cm x W 11cm
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Artwork | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2023 | Rago Arts and Auction Center - United States | On - Signed Print | |||
| March 2022 | Christie's New York - United States | On - Signed Print | |||
| June 2019 | Forum Auctions London - United Kingdom | On - Signed Print | |||
| November 2015 | Sotheby's New York - United States | On - Signed Print | |||
| March 2015 | Christie's London - United Kingdom | On - Signed Print | |||
| November 2013 | Sotheby's New York - United States | On - Signed Print | |||
| May 2013 | Christie's New York - United States | On - Signed Print |
Meaning & Analysis
Roy Lichtenstein’s artistic practice frequently reacted against the creative introspection of previous generations. In fact, the artist adopted his infamous visual vocabulary of consumer and popular culture to counteract idealised artistic legacies.
Lichtenstein’s minimalistic etching, On,was completed in 1962 and depicts a scaled back illustration of a light switch. On is one of the artist's early black and white single object prints that set out to satirise an ordinary item. In this humorous etching, the artist contrasts the trivial and the serious; the mechanical versus the handmade.
Conceptually, Lichtenstein plays on the beholder’s preconditioned understanding of art. The light switch is magnified and suspended in the middle of the canvas, taking on the emblematic authority of an icon. Formally, the print utilises an old-fashioned pictorial organization devoid of colour fillers. As a result, On achieves an impact depending on its graphic and detailed rendering of a generic object.
Lichtenstein’s careful tracing and contouring makes the work resemble a continuous line drawing exercise. The reduced and flattened object’s edges are sharply silhouetted against the surrounding stark white background. This radical flatness and the sketch-like qualities of the print offer an ultimate parody of fine art and classical genres.
