''Sleeping Girl'' is a 1964 oil and Magna on canvas pop art painting by

Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein (; October 27, 1923 – September 29, 1997) was an American pop artist. During the 1960s, along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and James Rosenquist among others, he became a leading figure in the new art movement. Hi ...

. It held the record for the highest auction price for a Lichtenstein painting from May 2012 until May 2013.

History

The painting is based on a panel from the

romance comic Romance comics is a comics genre depicting strong and close romantic love and its attendant complications such as jealousy, marriage, divorce, betrayal, and heartache. The term is generally associated with an American comic books genre published t ...

Girls' Romances ''Girls' Romances'' was a romance comic anthology published by DC Comics in the United States. Debuting with a Feb.,/Mar. 1950 cover-date, it ran for 160 issues, ending with the Oct. 1971 issue (the final issue came out on October 3, 1971, and s ...

'' #105 published by DC National Comics in 1964. On May 9, 2012, the comic painting ''Sleeping Girl'' (1964) from the collection of Beatrice and Phillip Gersh established a new Lichtenstein record $44.8 million at

Sotheby's Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...

. The Gershes were instrumental in the

modern Modern may refer to: History * Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Phil ...

and

contemporary art Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic com ...

movements in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

, especially as founding members of The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (MOCA). The previous record for a Lichtenstein work had been established in November 2011 when '' I Can See the Whole Room...and There's Nobody in It!'' sold for $43.2 million. The record was surpassed the following year when ''

Woman with Flowered Hat ''Woman with Flowered Hat'' is a 1963 pop art painting with Magna on canvas by Roy Lichtenstein. The work is based on a Pablo Picasso portrait of Dora Maar. In May 2013, it sold for a record price for a Lichtenstein work. Background Picasso pain ...

'' sold for $56.1 million, including fees, on May 15, 2013. Measuring 91.4 cm × 91.4 cm (36 in × 36 in), ''Sleeping Girl'' was purchased in 1964 from the

Ferus Gallery The Ferus Gallery was a contemporary art gallery which operated from 1957 to 1966. In 1957, the gallery was located at 736-A North La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. In 1958, it was relocated across the street to 723 North La Cienega ...

and was not sold until May 9, 2012. From April through July 1967 it was exhibited at the

Pasadena Art Museum The Norton Simon Museum is an art museum located in Pasadena, California, United States. It was previously known as the Pasadena Art Institute and the Pasadena Art Museum and displays numerous sculptures on its grounds. Overview The Norton Sim ...

and

Walker Art Center The Walker Art Center is a multidisciplinary contemporary art center in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is one of the most-visited modern and contemporary art museums in the United States and, t ...

as part of the Roy Lichtenstein exhibition. Then, it was shown from November 1989 to March 1990 at the

Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) is a contemporary art museum with two locations in greater Los Angeles, California. The main branch is located on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, near the Walt Disney Concert Hall. MOCA's o ...

Description

After 1963, Lichtenstein's comics-based women "...look hard, crisp, brittle, and uniformly modish in appearance, as if they all came out of the same pot of makeup." This particular example is one of several that are cropped so closely that the hair flows beyond the edges of the canvas. The work is noted for its use of one of art's most classic subjects: the sleeping female muse.

References

External links

Lichtenstein Foundation website
{{Roy Lichtenstein 1964 paintings 20th-century portraits Paintings by Roy Lichtenstein Portraits by American artists

History

Description

See also

References

External links