A Cherokee Brave 1952

Roy Lichtenstein made this intriguing print called 'A Cherokee Brave' in 1952. I imagine him in his studio, wrestling with the block, carving out these shapes, deciding what to leave and what to take away. Look at the bold, flat areas of color – the moody gray-blue, the earthy browns, and the pop of red-orange in the face. Lichtenstein is playing with textures, like the cross-hatched brown area that suggests a woven surface, contrasting it with smooth planes. It almost feels like he's collaging different materials together. The face is striking: geometric zigzags create a mask-like effect. You know, it is interesting to see how artists like Lichtenstein, known for his later Pop Art, were experimenting with earlier forms of printmaking, engaging in an ongoing conversation with art history, and finding inspiration in indigenous cultures. It reminds us that artists are always building on what came before, remixing and reinterpreting the world around them.