Red Painting (Brushstroke) 1965

Roy Lichtenstein made this painting, "Red Painting (Brushstroke)," using his signature hard-edged style to depict something usually fluid and gestural. It's like capturing a fleeting moment, but making it permanent and graphic. The brushstroke itself is rendered in bold red with thick black outlines. I love how Lichtenstein highlights the materiality of paint, turning it into a solid, almost sculptural form. Look at how the drips are frozen in time. It’s funny, right? He’s abstracting Abstract Expressionism! It reminds me of de Kooning, but totally flattened and pop-ified. Lichtenstein takes the idea of the expressive brushstroke and turns it into a mass-produced image, questioning originality and authenticity in art. It’s both a celebration and a critique, leaving you to wonder: What is painting anyway?