Name: Figure With Teepee
Brand: Roy Lichtenstein
Rating: 5 (236 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of Roy Lichtenstein’s Figure With Teepee (signed) is estimated to be worth between £4,550 and £7,000. Over the past five years, the hammer price has ranged from £3,260 in March 2023 to £5,107 in January 2024. This artwork has shown consistent value growth, with an average annual growth rate of 9%. This etching print, created in 1980, is rare to the market, with an auction history of 10 total sales since its entry to the market in May 2004. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 32.

Meaning & Analysis

Roy Lichtenstein’s Figure With Teepee is a intaglio etching which was produced in 1980 in a limited edition of 32, and executed as part of the American Indian series. Lichtenstein’s experimentation with the graphic nature of Native American heritage spans two main periods of his career. His 1950s exploration applies a cubist approach, while his 1980s studies employ his signature pop style.

read more about American Indian Theme

Lichtenstein’s iconic comic strip paintings have become synonymous with the Pop Art movement of the 1960s. Famous for experimenting with a broad range of styles and themes, Lichtenstein’s engagement with American Indian art spans two main periods of his career. His pre-pop oeuvre of the 1950s employs a cubist style to revise cliched images romanticising Native American heritage. The artist’s subsequent 1980s American Indian series treats indigenous art and design more in line with his signature pop approach.

Figure With Teepee employs a particular etching technique referred to as intaglio. According to this printing method, the image has first been carefully engraved onto a metallic surface. The refined incisions were then rubbed with ink, as the excess was wiped off. Soft paper was later pressed against the surface with a roller press.

The resulting imprint shows a black and white faux-wood totem decorated with red threads. The red and white fletching of two arrows is sticking out of the sculpture’s head. The corner of a cream coloured teepee pokes into view, situated on the right-hand side of the composition. The work reshuffles appropriated Native American artefacts. Lichtenstein reworks the forms and objects into flat planes and geometric shapes, presenting a compact canvas with a minimalist presence.