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Drowning Girl
Drowning Girl is one of the most famous paintings by American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. The painting is based on the cover of the 1962 comic book "Run for Love" published by DC Comics. Lichtenstein significantly altered the original illustration, focusing exclusively on the girl drowning accompanied by a threatening wave. The thought bubble dialogue shows the emotional reaction of the heroine, who despite her pain decides to drown without calling for help from her boyfriend. The artist enhanced the drama of the scene by emphasizing the emotional expression of the girl's face and replacing the boyfriend's name with "Brad," making it more heroic. The painting style imitates mechanical comic printing, using thick black outlines and Ben-Day dots to create the illusion of shading. The artwork exemplifies the merging of popular culture with high art, with an ironic commentary on melodrama and emotions.
Portrait of the Creator
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Artist
Roy Lichtenstein
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Date of birth and death
October 27, 1923 – September 29, 1997
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Natinality
American
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Style
Pop art; use of comic strips, commercial and mass media aesthetics; Ben-Day dots
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Significant works
Look Mickey, Drowning Girl, Whaam!, Oh, Jeff…I Love You, Too…But…, Girl with Hair Ribbon, Brushstrokes
Information about the work
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Year:
1963
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Execution technique:
oil on canvas
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Location:
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, USA
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Theme:
female portrait, drama, emotions, popular culture, comics
Internal Narrative and Creative Framework
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Inner Narrative
The painting ironically comments on the melodramatic and exaggerated emotions typical of romance comics, highlighting the artist's distance from the feelings portrayed and blending high and mass art.
The key to interpreting the work
The analysis should consider the influences of comics and Japanese prints (the wave pattern inspired by Hokusai's work), as well as the context of pop art and its attitude towards mass culture and irony.See other works by this artist
