Roy Lichtenstein

American, 1923–1997

Lichtenstein was born in New York, where, at the age of 14, he attended a painting class at Parsons School of Design. He continued studying art in New York at the Art Students League until he was drafted in the U.S. Army. After returning, Lichtenstein studied at Ohio State University and received his M.F.A. in 1949. He is preeminently identified with Pop Art, a movement he helped originate. The use of familiar subjects, like comic strips, bank notes or advertising themes, makes the art of Lichtenstein easily accessible. Lichtenstein’s work has been featured in both solo and group exhibitions, including at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The artist won numerous awards throughout his career, including the National Medal of Arts in 1995, the Skowhegan Medal in Painting in 1977 and the Creative Arts Award in Painting in 1991 from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.