'Whaam!', Roy Lichtenstein

Artwork details

Artist

Roy Lichtenstein (1923‑1997)

Title

Whaam!

Date 1963

MediumAcrylic paint and oil paint on canvas

Dimensionssupport: 1727 x 4064 mm frame: 1747 x 4084 x 60 mm

Collection

Tate

Acquisition Purchased 1966

Reference

T00897

On display at Tate Modern

Exhibition: Lichtenstein

Display caption

'Whaam!' is based on an image from 'All American Men of War' published by DC comics in 1962. Throughout the 1960s, Lichtenstein frequently drew on commercial art sources such as comic images or advertisements, attracted by the way highly emotional subject matter could be depicted using detached techniques. Transferring this to a painting context, Lichtenstein could present powerfully charged scenes in an impersonal manner, leaving the viewer to decipher meanings for themselves. Although he was careful to retain the character of his source, Lichtenstein also explored the formal qualities of commercial imagery and techniques… (read more)

September 2004