Hopeless 1963

Roy Lichtenstein’s ‘Hopeless’ from the 1960s, now at the Kunstmuseum Basel, is a painting rendered in oil and acrylic on canvas. In his signature style, Lichtenstein appropriates the visual language of commercial printing, elevating it to the realm of fine art. This Pop Art aesthetic emerged in post-war America, challenging the dominance of Abstract Expressionism by embracing popular culture. Note how Lichtenstein mimics the Ben-Day dots of comic book printing, emphasizing the mass-produced nature of his imagery. The melodramatic subject matter, borrowed from romance comics, speaks to societal expectations of women and their emotional lives. However, Lichtenstein's work also offers a critique of the art world itself. By adopting commercial techniques and subjects, he questioned traditional notions of artistic originality and authorship. By looking at the popular media of the 1960s we can better understand the social context from which Lichtenstein emerged. Historical studies of comics and popular culture shed light on the artist's use of source material and his commentary on American society.