American Indian Theme V
American Indian Theme V
Signed Print
Roy Lichtenstein
POA
This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
Woodcut, 1980
Signed Print Edition of 50
H 59cm x W 85cm
Critical Review
Roy Lichtenstein’s American Indian Theme V is of the artist’s American Indian Theme series of the late 1970s and early 1980s. This series follows up on the artist’s first engagement with Native American heritage, explored by Lichtenstein in his pre-pop oeuvre 20 years prior.
A single carved wooden figure, interlaced by the familiar yellow braided rope recurring in the series, is seated in what appears to be a deep blue body of water. In this sense, American Indian Theme V mirrors the centralised layout of others works from the same series, like American Indian Theme III and American Indian Theme IV.
The sharp tonal contrasts present in this work are achieved through a specific relief process. The image is first gouged into a block of wood and inked with a roller. The indentations are then covered with paper and compressed with a rubbing tool, transferring the imprint onto the paper.
The aforementioned technique is first and foremost used to accentuate the patterned background of American Indian Theme V. The main motifs covering the majority of the surface behind the figure are clearly extracted from quilts and other similar textiles attributed to Native American culture.
