ROY LICHTENSTEIN, HAYSTACK #7, LITHOGRAPH AND SCREEN PRINT ON SPECIAL ARJOMARI PAPER, EDITION OF 100, 1969
Roy Lichtenstein’s Haystack series was inspired by French impressionist Claude Monet’s influential Haystack paintings of the early 1900s. Lichtenstein created his Haystacks in 1969, the same year he finalised his masterful Cathedral series, which draws on Monet’s portrayal of the Rouen Cathedral.
The Haystack series highlights the role seriality has had in past creations, while also proving its significance for contemporary artistic exploration. The static and flat quality of Lichtenstein’s Ben Day dots stand in stark contrast to Impressionism’s aim to evoke a feeling of movement, conveying a distinctly modernist perspective.
Up close, it is clear that Haystack #7 applies a colour palette composed of black and white. Similar to Haystack #3, however, the overall composition plays on the senses when regarded from a distance, making the cluster of dots appear grey. Lichtenstein here aims to parallel the transient light depicted by Monet’s lush brushstrokes, presenting Haystack #7 as a depiction of harvest in the late hours of the afternoon.
Ultimately, the Haystacks primarily ridicule the convention dictating that mechanical reproduction stands in opposition to originality. The schematic forms and bright colours characterising the prints in this series seek to redefine the authenticity attributed to their source material.
Find out more about Haystack by Roy Lichtenstein.
ABOUT ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Born in Manhattan in 1923, Roy Lichtenstein was a leading figure in the Pop Art movement during the second half of the 20th century. His distinctive artistic style is inspired by the visual language of consumerism and advertising that pervaded American popular culture at the time, and his work recalls a society of widespread commercialism that has remained powerfully relevant to this day. Learn more about Roy Lichtenstein.
