Heritage Auctions’ Offers Lichtenstein’s "Nude with Blue Hair"

Prints from collection of Master Printer John Hutcheson to be offered among works from various collectors

DALLAS, Texas (March 28, 2018) — An iconic image from American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein is projected to bring as much as $500,000 in Heritage Auctions' Modern & Contemporary Art – Prints & Multiples Auction April 17 in Dallas.

Heritage will offer Lichtenstein's 1994 Nude with Blue Hair, from Nudes (est. $300,000-500,000) as part of a series of images that used 1960s comic book caricatures rather than live image for inspiration. 

"Heritage is honored to offer this monumental work by Roy Lichtenstein," Heritage Auctions Modern & Contemporary Art Director Holly Sherratt said. "Hutcheson was a Master Printer in all of the traditional printing techniques, including etching, woodcut, lithography, silkscreen and papermaking. During the 1980s, John Hutcheson ran his own workshop in the New York City area and developed personal relationships with hundreds of artists. His prints appear in private and museum collections including The Whitney Museum of American Art, MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Tyler Collection Archives in Australia, Japan, Singapore and Minneapolis."

Nude with Blue Hair epitomizes the incredible talent of Lichtenstein, as well as the technical expertise of Hutcheson, who contributed to Lichtenstein's vision using complex stencils and state of the art printing methods. The Nudesseries exemplifies Lichtenstein's signature comic book style: the artist adhered to a strict color palette of primary colors heavily outlined in black, while also branching out by contrasting geometrical shapes and lines against the curves of the subject's body. Lichtenstein employed unconventional shading with his benday dot technique, a process that mimics commercial comic book printing with dynamic dots that create optical illusions. This lot offers the rare opportunity to own one of the most significant works by Lichtenstein from the collection of the printer whose work with artists such as Frank Stella, Helen Frankenthaler and David Hockney helped influence art history.

Other top lots from the Hutcheson collection include, but are not limited to:

· Frank Stella Pumpkin Moonshine, from Polar Coordinates II (variant), 1979 (est. $50,000-70,000)

· Joan Mitchell Sunflowers I (diptych), 1992 (est. $10,000-15,000) 

· Frank Stella La Penna di Hu, from Italian Folktales, 1988 (est. $10,000-15,000) 

· David Hockney Twelve Fifteen, 1991 (est. $8,000-12,000)

· Robert Motherwell Elegy Study I, 1989 (est. $8,000-12,000)

· Robert Motherwell Black Cathedral, 1991 (est. $8,000-12,000)

· Helen Frankenthaler Madame de Pompadour, 1985-90 (est. $4,000-6,000)

· Helen Frankenthaler Divertimento, 1983 (est. $3,000-5,000)

· Sam Gilliam Fire, Nile, and Composition (three works), 1972 (est. $2,000-3,000)

The 165-lot auction also includes works from various owners that are sure to draw significant interest. The sale features 11 lots by Andy Warhol, including several listed below:

· Andy Warhol Grevy's Zebra, from Endangered Species, 1983 (est. $60,000-80,000) 

· Andy Warhol $ 1, 1982 (est. $30,000-50,000), 

· Andy Warhol Untitled, from Flowers Portfolio, 1970 (est. $25,000-35,000) 

· Andy Warhol The Witch, from Myths, 1981 (est. $25,000-35,000)

· Andy Warhol Liz, 1964 (est. $20,000-30,000) 

Other top lots include, but are not limited to:

· David Hockney Amaryllis in Vase, from Moving Focus, 1984 (est. $50,000-70,000)

· Ed Ruscha Cheese Mold Standard with Olive, 1969 (est. $40,000-60,000)

· Roy Lichtenstein Forms in Space, 1985 (est. $40,000-60,000)

· Pablo Picasso Vase deux anses hautes, 1952 (est. $25,000-35,000)