Road Before The Forest
Road Before The Forest
Signed Print
Roy Lichtenstein
£70,000-£100,000Value Indicator
$140,000-$210,000 Value Indicator
$130,000-$180,000 Value Indicator
¥680,000-¥970,000 Value Indicator
€80,000-€120,000 Value Indicator
$740,000-$1,060,000 Value Indicator
¥13,910,000-¥19,880,000 Value Indicator
$90,000-$130,000 Value Indicator
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94 x 133cm, Edition of 60, Planographic print
AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
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Meaning & Analysis
Roy Lichtenstein's artistic practice was in equal measure inspired by innovation and retrospection. His frequent revision of the formal qualities of the landscape genre spans over three decades of his career. The resulting Landscapes, Moonscapes and Seascapes are a testament to Lichtenstein’s creative singularity. As part of his extensive sequence, the artist completed several autonomous portfolios.
Road Before the Forest was executed in 1985 and belongs to Lichtenstein’s picturesque Landscapes suites. The work relies on poignant details, as it presents a simple image charged with complex associations.Road Before the Forest abides by its title, depicting a roadside neatly lined with a row of trees. The green and yellow branches conceal a dark forest, denoted by black, red and blue sweeps of colour. The whole scene appears to be swaying gently in the wind. Road Before the Forest unites vibrant hand-painted components with Lichtenstein’s simplistic machine-made shapes. Consequently, the layout becomes similarly abstracted as the artist’s concurrent Brushstroke Faces.
Besides dissecting the traditional features of landscape painting, Lichtenstein’s Landscapes series integrates an additional referential layer. The explosive pastel-toned and primary coloured portraits in this suite imitate the idealised brushwork of the abstract expressionists. The 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.
