NEW YORK—Paintings by Roy Lichtenstein have been setting sales records recently. On Nov. 8, “I Can See the Whole Room…And There is Nobody in It!” a 1961 painting of a man looking through a peephole, sold for $43.2 million at Christie’s in New York—a world auction record for a Lichtenstein. Last year, his “Ohhh…Alright…” (1964) sold for a record $42.6 million on Nov. 11, 2010. The astronomical hammer prices reminded me that while Lichtenstein is popular with wealthy collectors, his cartoon-style Pop art is also available for the public to see for free. Two opportunities: the Times Square subway station in New York and the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
Photos by Arts Observer
Above, “Painting with Statue of Liberty,” 1983 (oil and Magna on canvas) at the National Gallery of Art. Top of page, “Times Square Mural,” 2002 (collage 1990, fabricated 1994; porcelain enamel on wall) at Times Square-42nd Street subway station is a part of the public Arts for Transit program.