In The Car by Roy Lichtenstein

This striking close-up plunges the viewer into the heart of a romantic intrigue worthy of the greatest Hollywood melodramas. With undeniable virtuosity, the famous creator Roy Lichtenstein appropriates the tight framing of comic strips to make it a masterpiece of narrative tension. Entitled under the designation of “In The Car”, this fascinating creation forcefully expresses the unspoken words and the silent distance that separate a couple in motion.

The composition shows a man and a woman in profile, sitting side by side inside a moving vehicle. The man, with blue and black hair, wears a dark blue suit completed by a bright red tie and stares at the road ahead with concentration. The woman, blonde and dressed in a sumptuous fur coat with a yellow and black leopard pattern, looks at him with a thoughtful and melancholic pout. Numerous white horizontal lines cross the grey side window to suggest the high speed of the car. Two wide red horizontal bands frame the scene at the top and bottom, symbolizing the metallic bodywork of the vehicle and tightening the focus on the faces.

The artistic execution relies on the subtle alliance between vibrant flat colors and black outlines of great graphic precision. By juxtaposing the repetitive pattern of the fur coat and the straight speed lines, the author manages to breathe a highly striking dynamism and visual contrast into the work.