Mother and Child 1948

Roy Lichtenstein made this print, Mother and Child, using lithography, a printing process reliant on the chemical repulsion of oil and water. The image's rough, textured appearance is intrinsic to the lithographic process. To make it, the artist likely drew his design onto a prepared stone or metal plate with a greasy crayon or ink. This greasy substance attracts the oil-based ink, while the blank areas of the plate are treated to repel it. The plate is then dampened with water, inked, and pressed onto paper, transferring the image. Lichtenstein's choice of lithography speaks to the democratizing potential of printmaking, enabling the mass production of images. The grainy texture lends a handmade quality, contrasting with the slick, Pop Art aesthetic he’s known for. He plays with the tension between mechanical reproduction and artistic expression. This print challenges conventional notions of both the handmade and mass produced, blurring the boundaries between art and industry.