Interior with restful paintings 1991

Roy Lichtenstein made this large interior painting, Interior with restful paintings, with oil and magna on canvas, but there's nothing restful about it! Lichtenstein’s work can feel like a comic strip brought to life; it is painting that embraces industrial processes. Notice the heavy black outlines that define each object and the use of Ben-Day dots that create a uniform texture. The scene is a flat, vibrant space, and these dots give the impression of depth while reminding us that we are looking at a reproduction. This tension between representation and abstraction is at the heart of Lichtenstein's work. Take the two framed pictures of landscapes in the back. With their horizontal lines, they poke fun at the very idea of landscape. Are they restful? Lichtenstein seemed interested in how art could be both a highbrow pursuit and a mass-produced commodity. In this way, he shares a common sensibility with artists like Andy Warhol who understood that art can be both smart and accessible.