Roy Lichtenstein - Masterpiece 1962
Masterpiece 1962
137x137cm pop art painting, classic Ben-Day dots and a speech balloon
Sold for: USD 165.0 million
Auction house: Private sale
Sale date: January 2017
Seller: Agnes Gund
Buyer: Steven A. Cohen
Masterpiece is a 1962 pop art painting by Roy Lichtenstein that uses his classic Ben-Day dots and a speech balloon. It is known for its narrative content that predicted Lichtenstein's fame.
According to the Lichtenstein Foundation website, Masterpiece was part of Lichtenstein's first exhibition at Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles from April 1 – April 27, 1963, featuring Drowning Girl, Portrait of Madame Cézanne and other works from 1962 and 1963 When discussing another work (I Know...Brad), Lichtenstein stated that the name Brad sounded heroic to him and was used with the aim of cliched oversimplification. Drowning Girl is another notable work with Brad as the heroic subject.