Ongoing Event

© kunstmuseum basel, kupferstichkabinett, gift of the roy lichtenstein foundation; photo: max ehrengruber

The Kunstmuseum Basel presents prints from all periods of pop-art legend Roy Lichtenstein’s (1923–1997) oeuvre. Many of the approximately 50 works have never been on public display. “Roy Lichtenstein. Sweet Dreams, Baby!” showcases a representative survey of Lichtenstein’s colorful and vibrant world. The exhibition sheds light on how the American artist became a pioneer of pop art (short for “popular,” in the sense of popular culture) in the 1960s with his catchy motifs, love of experimentation, and brilliant technique. With plenty of wit and irony, Lichtenstein transposed the visual language of consumer goods, advertising brochures, and store-window displays into visual art. The comic-book aesthetic, in particular, was a vital source of inspiration: enlarged details (close-ups), luminous colors, and Ben-Day dots became hallmarks of his art.
Over the course of five decades, Lichtenstein created over 350 screen prints, etchings, lithographs, woodcuts, and linocuts. In celebration of the artist’s centennial in 2023, the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation has given a total of approximately 100 prints to the Albertina in Vienna, the British Museum in London, and the Kunstmuseum Basel, establishing three reference collections in Europe. The Kunstmuseum received 33 works that showcase the full diversity of Lichtenstein’s oeuvre as a printmaker. These include printed “Paper Plates” (1969) as well as an unconventional reinterpretation of Vincent van Gogh’s “The Sower” (1985) and the monumental “Wallpaper with Blue Floor Interior” (1992). The exhibition “Roy Lichtenstein. Sweet Dreams, Baby!” brings the public debut of this gift in Basel. It is rounded out by additional prints by Lichtenstein from the Kunstmuseum’s Kupferstichkabinett, which began acquiring his work in the 1960s, as well as a loan from a private collection.

Website
kunstmuseumbasel.ch/en/exhibitions/2026/roy-lichtenstein-sweet-dreams-baby

Where
Kunstmuseum Basel
St. Alban-Graben 16
4051 Basel

Map
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