American Indian Theme
6 works
Roy Lichtenstein Cathedral I (C. 75) For Sale
Roy Lichtenstein
Cathedral I (C. 75), 1969
Lithograph and screen print
48 1/2 x 32 1/2 in 123.2 x 82.5 cm
Edition
Edition of 75 plus 10 AP
About this work
Roy Lichtenstein’s Cathedral I (C. 75), 1969, marks one of the artist’s most striking engagements with the language of abstraction and architecture, filtered through his signature Pop Art vocabulary. Unlike his comic-inspired works of the early 1960s, this piece belongs to a later phase in which Lichtenstein turned toward formal explorations of perception, pattern, and scale. Here, the subject of a cathedral—traditionally a monument to spiritual grandeur and permanence—is rendered through a lattice of Ben-Day dots, the very visual shorthand of mechanical reproduction.The image hovers between figuration and abstraction. On the surface, the viewer perceives only an intricate web of yellow dots against a white ground, the familiar Lichtenstein motif evoking industrial printing. Yet as the eye adjusts, architectural contours begin to emerge: the outlines of Gothic arches, soaring windows, and the pointed geometry of spires. The work therefore operates on a tension between presence and absence, visibility and invisibility. The cathedral is simultaneously there and not there, flickering in and out of recognition depending on how long the viewer looks.By employing such a strategy, Lichtenstein transforms the cathedral into a commentary on visual perception itself. Unlike the monumental Gothic structure that dominates the skyline of a city, Cathedral I exists only as a ghostly impression, mediated through the logic of mechanical marks. The grandeur of architecture, usually expressed in stone and scale, is translated here into a flat field of dots. This is a radical inversion: permanence reduced to ephemerality, the sacred transposed into the language of mass culture.Thematically, Cathedral I resonates with Lichtenstein’s broader interest in collapsing distinctions between high art and low culture. Just as he elevated comic-book frames and advertisements into museum-worthy canvases, here he reduces one of Western civilization’s most exalted artistic achievements into a pattern of reproducible marks. In doing so, he simultaneously pays homage to and parodies the notion of cultural monuments.This print also underscores Lichtenstein’s fascination with vision as a mediated act. The dots are not only the material of the work but also metaphors for the way we process images in fragments, relying on repetition and pattern recognition to build meaning. What appears at first as decorative abstraction unfolds into the deeply familiar—an architectural icon recognizable across history.Cathedral I belongs to a series of prints and paintings in which Lichtenstein explored the theme of cathedrals, pushing further into semi-abstraction. By engaging with such subject matter, he situates himself within a lineage that includes Monet’s Rouen Cathedral series—another investigation into how perception transforms an enduring form. Where Monet dissolved stone into shifting atmospheric light, Lichtenstein dissolves it into the mechanical code of modern mass production.The result is an image at once reverent and irreverent, monumental and fragile, deeply serious and slyly ironic. Cathedral I exemplifies Lichtenstein’s capacity to bridge art-historical tradition with Pop Art’s challenge to authenticity and permanence, ultimately transforming an architectural icon into a meditation on how we see, interpret, and reproduce culture itself.For more information or to buy Cathedral I (C. 75) by Roy Lichtenstein, contact our galleries using the form below.
Price on Application
Auction History
Cathedral (Study) · Roy Lichtenstein · Sotheby's · 2025-10 · $484,038
CATHEDRAL #1-6 (C. 75-80) · Roy Lichtenstein · Sotheby's · 2010-03 · $70,692
Cathedral #3, from Cathedral Series (C. 78; G. 144) · Roy Lichtenstein · Bonhams & Butterfields · 2010-10 · $27,450
More from this series
More series by Roy Lichtenstein
About Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Lichtenstein prints for sale and Roy Lichtenstein paintings for sale at Guy Hepner Gallery, New York. Our inventory spans lithographs, screenprints, and unique works from his most collected series: Brushstrokes, Reflections, Nudes, Interiors, Haystacks, Cathedral, Entablature, and American Indian Theme — all with full provenance and Corlett catalogue raisonné references. We also acquire Lichtenstein. Free valuations available.
Roy Lichtenstein (1923–1997) is the defining figure of American Pop Art and one of the most actively traded artists on the post-war and contemporary market. His bold graphic language — Ben-Day dots, black outlines, primary palettes drawn from comic books and advertising — is among the most instantly recognisable in twentieth-century art. Born in New York City, he was exhibited by Leo Castelli Gallery from 1962 and worked until his death in September 1997, producing one of the most extensively documented print catalogues of any artist of his generation.
Roy Lichtenstein Art For Sale
Roy Lichtenstein art for sale spans signed prints, paintings, and unique works across his full catalogue. His most collected categories: signed and numbered screenprints and lithographs from the major series, unique works on paper, and large-format canvas paintings. The auction benchmark was set when Masterpiece (1962) sold for $165 million in a private transaction in 2017, and Nurse (1964) achieved $95.4 million at Christie's New York in 2015. Major print series regularly achieve $100,000–$2 million at Sotheby's, Christie's, and Phillips.
Roy Lichtenstein Prints For Sale
The most liquid and accessible segment of his market. Working with Gemini G.E.L., Petersburg Press, and Castelli Graphics, Lichtenstein produced lithographs, screenprints, woodcuts, and relief prints across three decades. Key series at Guy Hepner:
- Brushstrokes (1965–66) — Pop satire of Abstract Expressionist gesture; his most conceptually celebrated series
- Haystacks (1969) — Monet homage in Ben-Day dots and primary colour; his most decorative print subject
- Cathedral — Rouen Cathedral reworked through his commercial-art graphic vocabulary
- American Indian Theme (1980) — a major suite exploring Indigenous American motifs
- Reflections (1988–94) — canvases-within-canvases; his most technically intricate prints; strongest late-career market
- Nudes (1994–97) — figurative final series synthesising his full graphic vocabulary
- Interiors (1990s) — consumer culture imagery from furniture and décor catalogues; a distinctly American subject
- Peace Through Chemistry — Science and Technology series; bold, graphic, institutionally held
Signed impressions command significant premiums over unsigned editions. Corlett catalogue raisonné reference and publisher's certificate documentation are essential for any acquisition.
Roy Lichtenstein Original Art For Sale
Roy Lichtenstein original art for sale — unique paintings on canvas — represents the rarest category of his output. Major early canvases are primarily in institutional collections; secondary market appearances are concentrated at evening sales at Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips. Works on paper and preparatory drawings offer compelling opportunities for collectors seeking unique works with strong Lichtenstein provenance at more accessible price points.
Roy Lichtenstein Prints — Price Guide
- Unsigned secondary series editions: $5,000–$25,000
- Signed lithographs, Haystacks / Cathedral / American Indian Theme: $30,000–$150,000
- Signed screenprints, Brushstrokes / Reflections / Nudes: $40,000–$500,000
- Early 1960s single-sheet works and rare artist's proofs: $100,000+
Sell Roy Lichtenstein Prints — Free Valuation
Guy Hepner actively acquires Roy Lichtenstein prints, paintings, and works on paper from private collections. If you are looking to sell Roy Lichtenstein prints or seeking a current market valuation, contact our New York gallery for a confidential, no-obligation assessment. We handle all series including Brushstrokes, Reflections, Nudes, Haystacks, Cathedral, American Indian Theme, and Interiors.
Interested in adding Roy Lichtenstein to your collection? Contact Guy Hepner Gallery at 177 Tenth Avenue, New York to discuss current inventory and acquisition strategy.