Name: Seascape
Brand: Roy Lichtenstein
Rating: 5 (236 reviews)

Track auction value trend

Roy Lichtenstein's Seascape (signed), a Planographic Print from 1985, is estimated to be worth between £50,000 to £70,000. This artwork has been sold 9 times at auction since its initial sale on 2nd November 2007. The hammer price over the past five years has ranged from £45,566 in October 2023 to £106,854 in October 2023. The current average annual growth rate of this work is -2%. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 60.

Meaning & Analysis

Roy Lichtenstein’s insightful Landscapes, Moonscapes and Seascapes span over thirty years of his artistic practice. The sequence transforms the conventions of landscape painting into brilliant superimpositions of colours, shapes and materials. As part of his extensive project, the artist completed several autonomous portfolios.

Seascape belongs to the picturesque Landscapes suites of 1985. The print’s layout appears as abstracted as Lichtenstein’s concurrent Brushstroke Faces and later Reflections series. Reduced to essential compositional elements, the work captures an imaginary waterscape with low-hanging clouds. Lichtenstein intertwines hand-painted components with geometrical shapes to imitate the reflective attributes of the water’s surface. Folded between the choppy vibrant waves one finds the mirror image of the heavy skies surging above. The artist accumulates the pigments in the middle of the composition, converging the colours into warped simulations of natural light.

Seascape relies on these poignant details, as it presents a simple portrait charged with complex associations. Besides dissecting the traditional features of landscape painting, the Landscapes series integrates an additional referential layer. The explosive pastel-toned and primary coloured scenes in this suite imitate the idealised brushwork of the abstract expressionists. These emotive brushstrokes mimic nature in motion, while also critiquing the authenticity granted painterly gestures in the past.

Roy Lichtenstein, born in New York, 1923, is a seminal figure in the Pop Art movement, renowned for his comic book and advertisement-inspired artworks. His transformative journey from classical painter to Pop Art pioneer began with his iconic piece, Look Mickey, marking the fusion of painting with pop culture. Lichtenstein’s works, including Whaam!, Drowning Girl, and Crying Girl, blend parody and satire, challenging the boundaries between popular culture and ‘high art’. With over 5,000 pieces to his name, Lichtenstein’s enduring influence resonates in contemporary art, his works celebrated in prestigious institutions worldwide.