Focus on this artwork and analyze the Background.
According to the Lichtenstein Foundation website, Masterpiece was part of Lichtenstein's first exhibition at Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles from April 1 – April 27, 1963, featuring Drowning Girl, Portrait of Madame Cézanne and other works from 1962 and 1963. When discussing another work (I Know...Brad), Lichtenstein stated that the name Brad sounded heroic to him and was used with the aim of clichéd oversimplification. Drowning Girl is another notable work with Brad as the heroic subject.The source of this image was a comic book panel with the two subjects positioned similarly to their position here, but they were situated in an automobile. In the source image the narrative content of the speech balloon said "But someday the bitterness will pass..."Masterpiece was part of the largest ever retrospective of Lichtenstein that visited The Art Institute of Chicago from May 16 to September 3, 2012, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., from October 14, 2012, to January 13, 2013, the Tate Modern in London from February 21 to May 27, 2013, and The Centre Pompidou from July 3 to November 4, 2013. Several publications presented Masterpiece as part of their announcement of the retrospective.In January 2017, Agnes Gund sold the 1962 painting Masterpiece, which for years hung over the mantle of her Upper East Side apartment, for $165 million. The proceeds of the sale will be used to start a fund for criminal justice reform called the Art for Justice fund. The price was one of the 15 highest ever to be paid for an artwork. The purchaser was Steven A. Cohen.
speech balloon Art Institute of Chicago Ferus Gallery Upper East Side National Gallery of Art Tate Modern Washington, D.C. narrative content Steven A. Cohen criminal justice reform Centre Pompidou Agnes Gund Portrait of Madame Cézanne I Know...Brad Drowning Girl The Centre Pompidou