Roy Lichtenstein

Fascinated by symbols of American popular culture, Lichtenstein began introducing famous cartoon characters into his work in the late 1950s, when his style was indebted to the loose, gestural manner of Abstract Expressionism. "These were sort of de Koonings that looked like Mickey Mouse," he said. Disneyland had opened to great fanfare in 1955, and Walt Disney Productions was becoming one of the leading corporations in the United States. The drawing prefigures Lichtenstein's Pop phase, launched in 1961 with paintings that adopted not only the imagery but also the style of comic strips.