Lichtenstein works from across four decades go up for sale

Forty works from the private collection of Roy Lichtenstein, one of the world's best known pop artists, will go on sale for the first time at auction next month.

- Nadia Khomami

The works, comprising paintings, drawings, sculptures and prints, chart four decades of Lichtenstein's career. They include his shift from abstract expressionism to pop art in the 1960s, his exploration of modern art in the 1970s, his celebrated Reflections series of the 1980s, and his interiors and nudes from the 1990s.

It is estimated that the collection will make more than $35m (£26m) when it is auctioned by Sotheby's in New York in May. Several of the pieces come from the artist's home in Southampton, New York, where he created some of his most significant works.

Recent photos taken by Sotheby's offer a rare look inside the light-filled studio that formed part of the residence, which was accessible only to the artist's closest circle during his lifetime and rarely photographed.