Andrew Huber
Head of Department
PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF H. LEE TURNER, KANSAS
Lot 40
ROY LICHTENSTEIN(1923-1997)Death of Jane McCrea
1951
1951
Amended
16 November 2022, 17:00 EST
New YorkSold for US$113,775 inc. premium
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Randy Reynolds
Specialist, Head of Sale
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
Death of Jane McCrea
1951
signed and dated 51
oil on canvas
42 by 34 in.
106.7 by 86.4 cm.
1951
signed and dated 51
oil on canvas
42 by 34 in.
106.7 by 86.4 cm.
Footnotes
Provenance
Collection of the artist
Suzanne Hill, Cleveland (acquired circa late 1950s)
Stage House II Partnership, Boulder (acquired via Donna Golovko, Boulder in 1986)
Private Collection, Kansas (acquired via Donna Golovko, Boulder in 1986)
Thence by descent to the present owner in 2010
The present works by Roy Lichtenstein from the Collection of H. Lee Turner showcase the foundations of the artist's prolific career as one of the pioneers of American Pop Art. After serving in the American infantry in World War II, Lichtenstein stayed in Europe to study French language and civilization and was subsequently inspired heavily by the works of European artists including Pablo Picasso and Paul Klee. Lichtenstein returned to Cleveland shortly thereafter and took this inspiration to create his own interpretations through a uniquely American lens.
Lichtenstein would take motifs and imagery including Native American figures and symbols from 19th century American genre painting and create cubist configurations as a modern interpretation. Lot 41, Death of Jane McCrea, draws from John Vanderlyn's The Murder of Jane McCrea from 1804 (Wadsworth Antheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, Connecticut) but the cubist figures and composition create a whimsical rendering of a traditionally gruesome subject. Lichtenstein would use this same idea of appropriation and transformation in his iconic comic inspired paintings that solidified his position in the art historical canon.
Roy Lichtenstein, whose name is synonymous with Pop Art, is considered to be one of the most singular American artists of the 20th century. Lichtenstein was the subject of a 2012-2013 retrospective at the Art Institute of Chicago that then
traveled to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. and the Tate Modern, London. His work is also in the permanent collections of the world's most celebrated museums including The Broad Museum, Los Angeles; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Museum Ludwig, Cologne; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid and many others.
Saleroom notices
Please note that the correct provenance should read: Collection of the artist Suzanne Hill, Cleveland (acquired circa late 1950s) Stage House II Partnership, Boulder (acquired via Donna Golovko, Boulder in 1986) Private Collection, Kansas Thence by descent to the present owner in 2010
