Thinking of him 1963

Roy Lichtenstein made "Thinking of Him," a large painting rendered with oil and magna on canvas, using his signature Ben-Day dots to create a mechanically reproduced feel. The way Lichtenstein layers the dots to build tone is fascinating. It's like he’s saying, "I’m not just copying, I’m constructing." Look at how the bright yellow background pushes forward, flattening the space. Then, focus on the woman's face, or what we can see of it. The tears, so clearly delineated, become almost abstract shapes against the flesh. It’s this push and pull between flatness and depth, emotion and detachment, that gets me every time. It reminds me of David Hockney's use of color and line, both artists playing with perception and representation in such a cool, detached way. Ultimately, Lichtenstein asks us to reconsider how we see, feel, and interpret the world around us.