Name: Landscape 8
Brand: Roy Lichtenstein
Rating: 5 (236 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of Roy Lichtenstein's Landscape 8 (signed) is estimated to be worth between £5,500 and £8,000. This mixed media artwork, created in 1967, has shown consistent value growth, with an average annual growth rate of 6%. This work has an auction history of 14 total sales since its entry to the market in July 2014. In the last 12 months, the hammer price has varied from £4,258 in September 2020 to £5,000 in the same month. The average return to the seller over the past five years has been £4,026. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 100.

Meaning & Analysis

Roy Lichtenstein's artistic practice has always been fuelled by a simultaneous yearning for innovation and retrospection. Shortly after establishing himself as a trailblazer of Pop Art, the artist turned his attention to the conventions of landscape painting. He worked on his Landscapes, Moonscapes and Seascapes for over three decades. As part of the extensive project, the artist completed several autonomous portfolios.

Landscape 8 from 1967 belongs to the Ten Landscapes suite. The print consists of two conjoined images. The upper half of the composition presents a subtle moon-like shape, blending seamlessly into a stark black background. Below, Lichtenstein inserts the cut out of a swirling element laid across the shimmery illustration of water. Landscape 8 conjures a striking waterscape, recognisable yet entirely unrealistic. Lichtenstein generates a fictitious nature scene, similar to the absurdist dreamscapes of his Surrealist series.

The plastic Rowlux and Mylar sheets employed in the making of this print generate the prismatic effect of changing light and fluctuating movement. The fabric creates an industrial aesthetic, as well as textural and spatial interplays. Lichtenstein’s quest to invoke illusionistic effects using experimental materials continued throughout his career. For instance, he pursued comparable plays on perception and reflectivity in his intricate Mirrors and later Water Lilies.

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.