Dorothy Lichtenstein, the philanthropic widow of Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein and cofounder of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, passed away on July 4 at the age of 84. Her family confirmed the news, expressing their admiration for her compassionate and generous spirit. “Dorothy was a powerful model of how to be in the world. She was kind and deeply empathic, always doing ‘the next right thing’ and treating others with patience, love, and tolerance,” they said.
As president and chief patron of the foundation, Dorothy was celebrated for her unwavering dedication to her late husband’s legacy. Since around 2018, the foundation has been meticulously distributing its prized collection to cultural institutions across the United States. Notably, the Whitney Museum in New York received 400 artworks by Roy, establishing the world’s largest collection of his work. The Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art was also enriched with approximately a million documents and historical materials.
Dorothy Lichtenstein, born Dorothy Herzka in 1939 in Brooklyn, attended high school in the borough before studying political science and art history at Pennsylvania’s Beaver College (now Arcadia University). After graduating in 1963, she moved to Manhattan and worked at Bianchini Gallery, where she met Roy during the gallery’s “The American Supermarket” exhibition in 1964.
The couple married in 1968 and remained together until Roy’s death in 1997. Dorothy fondly recalled their early days, sharing anecdotes about their rising fame in the art world with humor and humility. Despite their success, the Lichtensteins maintained a grounded and playful outlook on their achievements.
In 2000, Dorothy became a trustee of the Parrish Art Museum and was honored at its annual Midsummer Party in 2009. She supported numerous art organizations, including Artists Space and Exit Art, while adhering to her and Roy’s philosophy of not awarding individual grants. Her contributions to the arts were recognized in 2001 when she was named an Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.
In 2018, Dorothy announced that the Lichtenstein Foundation would be “winding down,” with the majority of its collection destined for museums. Reflecting on the foundation’s mission, she emphasized that perpetuity was never the goal. “Roy and I always felt that we could never see all the worthy young artists,” she told Vogue.
Dorothy’s thoughtful approach to the foundation’s end mirrored her and Roy’s aversion to leaving things unfinished. “I would wonder,” she said, “when is this going to be over?” Her pragmatic and forward-thinking mindset ensured that the foundation’s legacy would continue to inspire and enrich the art world long after its conclusion.
