Roy Lichtenstein's Bulls series, created in 1973, is a captivating exploration of the transformation from figuration to abstraction. This series comprises a set of six prints where Lichtenstein, inspired by Pablo Picasso's lithographic series The Bull from 1946 and Theo van Doesburg’s studies for The Cow, progressively abstracts the image of a bull. Each print in the series demonstrates a step towards abstraction, beginning with a more detailed and representational depiction that gradually simplifies into geometric shapes and forms by the final print (National Gallery of Art) (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) (MyArtBroker).
The Bulls series stands out for its playful yet profound commentary on the nature of artistic representation, challenging the conventional distinction between realistic and abstract depictions. Lichtenstein himself noted the series as a kind of abstraction lesson, emphasizing that, to him, "nothing is more abstract than anything else," thus calling into question the modernist pursuit of distilling universal truths through abstraction. The series not only reflects Lichtenstein's interest in the stylistic elements of commercial printing, such as line cuts, lithography, and screen printing but also serves as a medium for his exploration of printing techniques' evolution (National Gallery of Art) (MyArtBroker).
By employing a combination of printing techniques across the series, Lichtenstein navigates the history of printing from the simpler line-cut used in newspapers to the more complex layering of colors and shapes through lithography and screen printing. This not only highlights his mastery over these techniques but also mirrors the broader transformation within the art form itself, from figuration towards a radical simplification and abstraction. The Bulls series, therefore, not only pays homage to Lichtenstein's predecessors like Picasso and van Doesburg but also firmly situates Lichtenstein within the dialogue of modernist abstraction and pop art's critique of high and low culture (MyArtBroker).
The importance of the Bulls series lies in its graphical slickness and the nuanced way Lichtenstein plays with the lithographic process to refine the image through abstraction. It’s a vivid illustration of Lichtenstein's innovative approach to art, blending commercial printing techniques with high art concepts to challenge and redefine the boundaries of art itself (MyArtBroker).
