New York – Bonhams is proud to announce the auction Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein at Home: The Personal Collection, taking place online from July 20 – 30. This collection features a plethora of contemporary artwork, antique furniture, décor and books from the Lichtensteins' Southampton home. A leading figure in the Pop Art movement, Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) was famous for his bold painting style inspired by mass advertising and comic strips. Bridging fine art and popular culture, Lichtenstein's work challenged traditional notions of fine art, making it accessible to a broader audience and influencing a generation of contemporary artists. His wife Dorothy Lichtenstein (1939-2024), whom he married in 1968, was a philanthropist and arts patron, celebrated for her gracious approach to preserving and sharing her husband's work and legacy. After founding the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation in 1999, Dorothy was instrumental in facilitating the donation of over 1,000 of her husband's paintings, sculptures, sketches, and personal archives to cultural institutions worldwide, most notably the Whitney Museum of American Art.

The collection showcases the vision of a couple who lived for beauty and creativity. Their Southampton residence served as a home and haven, showcasing their lifestyle and sensibilities in addition to housing Roy's art studio in a separate barn also on the property. Within the walls of their home, Roy and Dorothy enjoyed moments of leisure and creative genius, meticulously caring for their belongings and proudly displaying cherished personal items, now up for auction for the first time.

"The personal collection of an extraordinary couple like the Lichtensteins invites us to ask: What does an artist surround themselves with, day-to-day? From antique furniture to Ellsworth Kelly's Blue Curve, this auction is a testament to the interior life of one of the most influential artistic couples of all time. Bonhams is deeply honored to have been chosen by the Lichtenstein family to steward such an extraordinary collection," commented Anna Hicks, Head of Private & Iconic Collections at Bonhams.

Of the artwork offered throughout the sale, one of the major standouts is Portrait de femme accoudée, 1937 by Henri Matisse (1869-1954). Estimated between $40,000 – 60,000, this piece reflects their passion for the medium of drawing. As noted by Dorothy, Roy valued drawings for their ability to reveal the artist's hand, making this work a perfect representation of the couple's collecting tastes.

Other highlights from the personal art collection of the couple are works created by the couple's friends and fellow artists, including Flag (Moratorium),1969, by Jasper Johns (b.1930), estimated at $20,000 – 30,000; Colored Paper Image XVI (Blue Yellow Red) (Axsom 156), 1976, by Ellsworth Kelly (1923-2015), estimated at $10,000 – 15,000; and Untitled, 1995, by Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008), estimated at $8,000 – 12,000.

In addition to the trove of artwork featured in the sale, there will be a selection of personal, cherished items, including a paint-splattered rush seat pine armchair from Roy's Southampton art studio, estimated between $400 – 600; and a pair of cast iron and wood shelves that Roy notably used as drying racks for his canvases at his Manhattan studio, estimated between $2,000 – 3,000.

Other personal items rounding out the collection include a variety of blue and white spongeware table articles, estimated between $600 – 800; as well as a selection of art books from their personal library—featuring contemporary artists such as Wayne Thiebaud, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol— with estimates ranging from $300 to $700.