Why is the Cathedral series important?

For both Lichtenstein and Monet the subject is less important than bringing the observer’s attention to the very act of seeing. A visual narrative is constructed here by both artists, aided by the bold application of pigments, which unites the visual strategies of these chronologically and stylistically dissimilar artists.

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Cathedral by Roy Lichtenstein Background & Meaning

Cathedral

Roy Lichtenstein's Cathedral series draws inspiration from Claude Monet's 1894 oil paintings of the Rouen Cathedral. In direct contrast to Monet, who explored the mutability and ephemerality of the Cathedral in different lights, Lichtenstein investigates the repetitiousness of commercial production, and the variations possible by different reproduction techniques.

Meaning & Analysis

Inspired by Claude Monet’s impressionist oil paintings of Rouen Cathedral, Lichtenstein’s Cathedral series is characteristic of his bold colour use. His creations are housed in many of the world's prestigious art museums.

Lichtenstein is primarily known for skilfully launching comic book style and mechanically reproduced artworks into the world of fine art. He reconsiders artistic genres by presenting wry social commentary and satirical accounts of art history on his canvases. Moreover, he also demonstrates how the images of art are codified for public consumption through advertising and printing. The artist offers a complex vision of modern art’s tendency to borrow and alter works, styles and techniques of the past.

Lichtenstein’s Cathedral series of 1969 was inspired by photos depicting impressionist Claude Monet's 1894 oil paintings of the historic cathedral in Rouen. Monet painted at the site of the cathedral, in the Normandy region of France, at various points of the day, over the course of two years. His main purpose was to capture the transient movement of light against the building’s facade. His repetition of the same theme demonstrates a quintessentially painterly approach. The evocative brushwork employed in his series of oil paintings reaffirms the magnificence of the Rouen Cathedral.

Therein lies the main difference between the cathedral pictures of Monet and Lichtenstein. Monet explored the interchangeability and ephemerality of one motif. Meanwhile, Lichtenstein’s commercially influenced style in his Cathedral series of 1969 investigates mass-media systems and reproduction techniques.

For both Lichtenstein and Monet the subject is less important than bringing the observer’s attention to the very act of seeing. A visual narrative is constructed here by both artists, aided by the bold application of pigments, which unites the visual strategies of these chronologically and stylistically dissimilar artists.
Although Lichtenstein did not paint live, his use of vivid colouring in the Cathedral series reinvests the overexposed image of the monument with renewed relevance. Lichtenstein exhibits his own manufactured Monet’s, using yellow and white to allude to daylight and blue and black to mark the arrival of the night. He is consciously reacting to Monet’s impressionism by creating a corresponding round-the-clock portrayal of the historic monument, considered through the lens of various colours.The act of reproduction creates the view, as Lichtenstein refocuses attention on painting, using Monet’s cathedrals as art historical footnotes.
Appropriately, Monet's impressionist brushwork is an obvious predecessor to Lichtenstein's hallmark Ben Day dots. They are the main protagonists of Lichtenstein’s Cathedral series. His mechanised appropriation of the subject matter delves into the nature of repetition and seriality with the help of these dots, commonly used in comic books.The artist’s use of this particular printing process can be compared to pointillism, wherein distinct dots of colour are applied to form an image.
Lichtenstein’s dots are positioned in a variety of ways, applied sparingly in certain prints, overlapping slightly in others and on occasion even overcrowding the surface of the work. Conducting a sketch before painting, Lichtenstein projected his initial composition onto his canvases to trace. His prints disperse into dots, similar to how Monet’s paintings dissolve into brushstrokes. Lichtenstein’s Cathedral series has the same visual quality and eligibility as its historical source material, but is a highly mechanised structure; a true expression of the 20th century.
If you're looking to sell art by Roy Lichtenstein, click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.