Roy Lichtenstein’s I Love Liberty (1982), a screenprint on Arches 88 paper, exemplifies his incisive exploration of American identity through the appropriation of national symbols. Reimagining the Statue of Liberty, Lichtenstein channels his enduring fascination with American ideals—freedom, democracy, and the promise of the American Dream—through the bold visual language of Pop Art.

Originally created for a national television broadcast celebrating American values, the work has since come to function as a layered meditation on Americanism itself. Lichtenstein presents the monument from a striking, eye-level perspective below, tightly cropping the composition to focus on Liberty’s face. This close-up both monumentalizes and humanizes the figure, transforming a colossal public icon into an intimate, almost personal encounter.

Rendered in his signature Ben-Day dots, thick outlines, and vivid primary colors, the image playfully references the artist’s own commercial-inspired aesthetic. Yet the humor is balanced by reverence: the torch, though partially abstracted, continues to signify enduring hope and independence. By filtering this quintessential emblem of the nation through his distinctive visual vocabulary, Lichtenstein creates a work that is at once ironic and sincere—a visual love letter that both celebrates and critically reframes a cornerstone of American identity.