Mao
Signed Print
Roy Lichtenstein
£13,000-£19,000
$26,000-$40,000 Value Indicator
$23,000-$35,000 Value Indicator
¥120,000-¥170,000 Value Indicator
€16,000-€23,000 Value Indicator
$130,000-$180,000 Value Indicator
¥2,510,000-¥3,670,000 Value Indicator
$16,000-$24,000 Value Indicator
AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
There aren't enough data points on this work for a comprehensive result. Please speak to a specialist by making an enquiry.
Medium: Lithograph
Edition size: 150
Year: 1971
Size: H 58cm x W 43cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Location | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sotheby's London | United Kingdom | ||||
| January 2024 | Lama | United States | |||
| October 2023 | Phillips New York | United States | |||
| November 2022 | Bonhams New York | United States | |||
| May 2022 | Bonhams New York | United States | |||
| February 2022 | Wright | United States | |||
| June 2021 | Wright | United States |
Meaning & Analysis
Roy Lichtenstein’s Mao of 1971 is a distinct pop lithograph consisting of a strong red and black colour palette. The work was originally commissioned by American novelist Frederic Tuten. It was later featured as the cover of his first book, The Adventures of Mao on the Long March. It is a fictionalised and highly experimental account of Chairman Mao's rise to power.
Tuten’s story about the Chinese revolutionary first appeared in condensed form in the 1969 edition of Artist Slain magazine. Tuten was eventually offered a publication deal on the condition that his friend Lichtenstein designs the cover. Lichtenstein’s vigorous depiction of Mao is rendered in his trademark primary colours and Ben Day dots. Tuten himself was actually used as a model for the drawing, which Lichtenstein altered to resemble Mao’s laughing profile.
Mao is the result of a masterful collaboration. What Tuten and Lichtenstein have in common is more than just their artful and surprising satires. Both featured collages, appropriated source materials and a startling juxtaposition of themes in their respective works. Furthermore, both of their oeuvres contain shrewd commentaries of Western aesthetic traditions. By transforming the real figure of Mao into a fantastical cartoon illustration, Lichtenstein deflates his mythical status in a way that fits Tuten’s literary narrative.