Roy Lichtenstein — Brushstrokes For Sale

Roy Lichtenstein Brushstrokes Prints For Sale

Roy Lichtenstein Brushstrokes prints for sale at Guy Hepner Gallery, New York. Begun in 1965, the Brushstrokes series is the most conceptually celebrated body of work in Lichtenstein's career and among the most significant print acquisitions available in the post-war market. The series applies Lichtenstein's Pop Art vocabulary — Ben-Day dots, flat colour, black outlines — to the defining gesture of Abstract Expressionism: the spontaneous, loaded mark of Kline, de Kooning, and Pollock, stripped of its existential weight and rendered precise, flat, and mechanically reproducible.

The Concept

Lichtenstein's Brushstroke works operate simultaneously as homage and critique. Where Abstract Expressionism elevated the gestural mark to a statement of individual authenticity and creative freedom, Lichtenstein subjected that mark to the same process of mechanical reproduction and commercial detachment he had applied to Campbell's Soup cans and Marilyn Monroe. The result is a deeply ironic body of work that uses the language of Pop Art to interrogate the founding myth of Abstract Expressionism.

The series began with paintings and extended into a major print programme — lithographs and screenprints published with Gemini G.E.L. and other leading print publishers — that remains among his most sought-after print work. Visually distinctive and conceptually rich, Brushstroke prints are among the most immediately identifiable works in his catalogue.

Market Performance

Roy Lichtenstein Brushstrokes prints are among the strongest performers in his secondary market, with signed impressions from the series appearing regularly at Sotheby's, Christie's, and Phillips. The series has demonstrated consistent appreciation over the past two decades and attracts both serious private collectors and institutional buyers. Pricing varies significantly by composition, edition size, and condition — contact Guy Hepner for current market guidance on specific works. Brushstroke paintings on canvas — produced primarily in 1965–66 — are almost entirely in institutional collections and rarely appear at auction.

Works in the Series

The Brushstrokes print series encompasses multiple compositions across screenprint and lithograph, including individual strokes and multi-stroke compositions, in a range of colour combinations and graphic arrangements. Key works:

• Brushstroke (1965) — the original single-stroke image; among his most widely reproduced
• Little Big Painting (1965) — a concentrated, multi-stroke composition; the most celebrated painting from the series
• Brushstroke with Spatter (1966) — introduces the incidental mark and dot-pattern spatter that add visual complexity
• Yellow Brushstroke — bright primary-palette single stroke; among the most decorative of the series

Collecting Brushstrokes Prints

Buyers of Roy Lichtenstein Brushstrokes prints should prioritise:

Signed impressions. Hand-signed, numbered examples from documented editions command the strongest prices. Lichtenstein signed consistently in pencil; signatures should be verified against known authenticated examples.

Edition documentation. All significant Brushstrokes prints are Corlett-catalogued. Verify the edition number against published parameters and ensure a publisher's certificate (Gemini G.E.L. or equivalent) is present.

Condition. Flat colour screenprints are highly sensitive to UV exposure. Yellowing of the paper, colour shift in the ink areas, and surface abrasion all materially affect value. Request a condition report and ask whether the work has been displayed or stored.

Composition. Multi-stroke compositions generally command premiums over single-stroke works; black-and-white variants are rarer and increasingly sought by collectors building monochromatic collections.

Authentication

Roy Lichtenstein Brushstrokes prints are authenticated via the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation catalogue raisonné (Corlett, 1994) and Foundation authentication records. All works offered by Guy Hepner are Corlett-referenced with full provenance documentation.

Acquire Brushstrokes Prints at Guy Hepner

Guy Hepner Gallery actively sources Roy Lichtenstein Brushstrokes prints for collector clients and maintains standing acquisition interest in this series. Contact our New York team to discuss current availability, condition reports, and pricing guidance for specific works.

Browse all Roy Lichtenstein prints for sale → | Sell your Lichtenstein →