Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) was an American artist born in New York, best-known for his comic-book inspired paintings, lithographs, and sculptures. Having studied at the Art Students League and Ohio State College, he later taught at various universities following war service from 1943-1946. Though he first painted works in an Abstract Expressionist style, his experiments using popular cartoon characters paved way for his signature style, and in 1961 he began incorporating comic book imagery. These works established Lichtenstein as a leading figure of Pop art. In his choice of materials he often incorporated plastics and enamelled metal, and his later sculptures were mostly polished brass. The first New York Guggenheim retrospective of his works in 1969 marked his prominence in modern art history.