Last updated: 27 October 2026
Roy Lichtenstein is the American Pop artist who painted comic-book panels in Ben-Day dots, including Tate’s Whaam!. Here you will find our take on his work, where to see it in the UK and what you can buy.
Our take on Roy Lichtenstein
Lichtenstein borrowed the look of comics and advertising and blew it up to the scale of history painting. His success in the early 1960s was followed by “an oeuvre of more than 5,000 paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, murals and other objects”, according to the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation.
He questioned who decides what counts as good art from early on. As a student, he objected that one person’s drawings “was considered brilliant, and somebody’s else’s, that may have looked better to you, was considered nothing by almost everyone.”
Tate holds Whaam! (1963). Wall Explosion II (1965) is on display at Tate Modern in Media Networks.
Roy Lichtenstein: the essentials
- Born in New York City on 27 October 1923, according to the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation.
- Studied with Reginald Marsh at the Art Students League in 1940, then at Ohio State University.
- Made more than 5,000 paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, murals and other objects.
- Died in 1997. Tate holds Whaam! (1963) among his works.
Roy Lichtenstein in the UK
- On display: Wall Explosion II (1965), Tate Modern, in Media Networks. Free.
- We found no current Lichtenstein exhibition in the UK.
Where to buy Roy Lichtenstein
These are reproductions, not Lichtenstein editions. From the Tate shop:
Roy Lichtenstein FAQs
Where is Lichtenstein’s Whaam!?
In Tate’s collection in London.
When was Roy Lichtenstein born?
On 27 October 1923, in New York City.
Is the Tate Whaam! screenprint a Lichtenstein edition?
No. It is a screenprint reproduction made by Jealous for Tate, £200 unframed.
How many works did Lichtenstein make?
More than 5,000 paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, murals and other objects, according to his foundation.
More from CoolCuration
- Playing Arts: decks of cards drawn by artists from around the world.
- Frieze London review: what was worth seeing at this year’s fair.
- Great Art Explained: James Payne’s guide to how famous works were made.
- Best affordable art in the UK: where to start collecting prints and editions.
Think we’re missing something, got something wrong, or want to be featured? Contact us.
Main image: Roy Lichtenstein at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 1967. Photo: Eric Koch / Anefo, Nationaal Archief, via Wikimedia Commons, CC0. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
No Comments.