Study for "Wall Explosion I"

1963–1964

Leaves Rutgers and returns to New York

In September 1963 Lichtenstein took a leave of absence from Douglass College at Rutgers; in 1964 he moved back to New York to be at the centre of the art scene and resigned from Rutgers to concentrate on his painting.

1964

The first American to exhibit at the Tate Gallery

Lichtenstein became the first American to exhibit at the Tate Gallery in London, in the show “’54–’64: Painting and Sculpture of a Decade”.

1964

Life magazine asks: “Is He the Worst Artist in the U.S.?”

When Lichtenstein’s work was first exhibited, many critics challenged its originality and called it vulgar and empty; a Life magazine article of 1964 was headed “Is He the Worst Artist in the U.S.?”. The artist replied that the closer his work is to the original, the more threatening and critical its content.

1965

Divorce from Isabel

The brutal upstate winters, where Lichtenstein had been teaching since 1958, took a toll on him and his wife. They sold the family home in Highland Park, New Jersey, in 1963 and divorced in 1965.

1967

First solo exhibitions in Europe

In the same year, 1967, Lichtenstein’s first solo exhibition in Europe was held at museums in Amsterdam, London, Bern and Hannover.

1967

First museum retrospective in Pasadena

In 1967 the Pasadena Art Museum in California held Lichtenstein’s first museum retrospective.