Roy Lichtenstein's Whitney Show and Surging Market

The Whitney Museum of American Art will open "Roy Lichtenstein: Like New" on October 11, 2025, featuring about 130 works spanning five decades, curated by Meg Onli and artist Alex Da Corte. The exhibition was originally scheduled for 2023 but delayed. Meanwhile, Lichtenstein's auction market has surged: annual sales reached $172 million in 2025, quadrupling from 2022, with 745 lots sold—a record. The average lot price nearly doubled to $263,255 in 2025 and further to $436,913 in 2026. Sotheby's sold 263 of 266 Lichtenstein lots from Dorothy Lichtenstein's estate over 18 months, generating $175.6 million with a 99% sell-through rate. Key loans to the Whitney include works from billionaire Ken Griffin (Ohhh... Alright..., 1964), Ronnie F. Heyman (The Engagement Ring, 1961), Peter M. Brant (The Refrigerator, 1962), Martin Margulies (Femme au chapeau, 1962), and Steve Cohen (Masterpiece, 1962, acquired privately for $165 million in 2017). The estate sales were handled shrewdly by Sotheby's, with conservative estimates and dedicated auctions. However, at Christie's, Anxious Girl (1964) failed to sell at its $60 million estimate, hammering at $39.5 million. The market's sustainability remains uncertain.