MASTERPIECE:

Masterpiece is a 1962 Pop art painting by Roy Lichtenstein. Masterpiece features a woman speaking to a man, with a speech bubble that reads, "Why, Brad darling, this painting is a masterpiece! My, soon you'll have all of New York clamouring for your work!" Art historians have implied that this is the same Brad from Drowning Girl.

In this work, Lichtenstein digs into the art world itself, poking fun at the mechanisms of fame, success and the subjective nature of what is considered a "masterpiece". This piece foreshadowed the artist's own breakthrough success within the art world, while also satirising the often pretentious milieu of criticism and collection. It stands as a meta-commentary on Lichtenstein's career and the reception of Pop Art within the established art community. It sold for $165 million in 2017, the highest price paid for the artist.

MASTERPIECE-1962

DROWNING GIRL,1963

Completed in the same seminal year, Drowning Girl encapsulates the humorous emotional intensity and stylised aesthetic that defined much of Lichtenstein's work. This painting, sourced from the DC Comics series Secret Hearts and based on original art by Tony Abruzzo, depicts a tearful woman being swept away by a tumultuous wave, with a speech bubble that dramatically declares, "I don't care! I'd rather sink than call Brad for help!" Lichtenstein's adaptation transcends the original comic strip's narrative, transforming it into a tongue-in-cheek exploration of emotion, isolation and the paradoxes of human relationships. The use of Ben-Day dots, bold outlines, and a limited cool-colour palette mimics the printing techniques of comic books, but its large scale allows the viewer to come closer to the process than ever before.

DROWNING GIRL-1963