Roy Lichtenstein - Happy Tears, 1964

The solo deck presents a close-up of a woman displaying an emotionally charged, ambiguous moment. She has been illustrated in Roy LICHTENSTEIN’s famous comic book style, with Ben-Day dots and primary colors. 

As with all the artist’s leading women, the heroine intentionally possesses idealized features, including perfectly winged mascara and flawlessly manicured nails. Despite the tears depicted, the overall expression appears  happy but like so many of LICHTENSTEIN’s women, the viewer is invited to put their own emotions into the characters. With Happy Tears we do not know the source of her feelings but the anonymity and ambiguity surrounding her allow for the viewer to become a participant in the drama.

© Estate of Roy Lichtenstein, 2024, all rights reserved