Storming the Castle

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Lichtenstein began working in editioned works, where the early influences of Paul Klee and Pablo Picasso are evident. It was here that the artist developed several of the essential elements that would inform his later style, such as the schematic conversion of multi-dimensional objects in nature into the two dimensions required on paper. His first sustained theme, were joyful depictions that poked lyrical fun at medieval knights, castles, and maidens. Known as a lover of history, many believe he may have been inspired by a book about the Bayeux Tapestry, which represents the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England.