This is from a group of six works that form Lichtenstein’s Water Lilies series which pay homage to the water lily paintings of Impressionist artist Claude Monet (1840-1926). They were made in collaboration with a master printmaker, Donald Saff at his studio, Saff Tech Arts . Working with the printmakers, Lichtenstein was able to realise a swirl motif on stainless steel that he remembered from the metal dashboards of 1920s and 1930s automobiles. As one commentator has explained: ‘At Saff Tech, a method was developed to create the swirls, using a drill press fitted with a rubber end and suspended upside down from the ceiling. Production of the pattern was labour intensive, as each swirl was executed individually.’