d ollar ▁bill ▁and ▁has ▁influenced ▁several ▁of ▁L ichten stein ' s ▁later ▁works . ▁The ▁picture ▁has ▁received ▁generally ▁favor able ▁reception ▁from ▁critics , ▁and ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁art istic ▁port ray als ▁of ▁currency . ▁ ▁Background ▁and ▁history ▁▁ ▁Roy ▁L ichten stein ▁began ▁experiment ation ▁with ▁print making ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁well ▁before ▁its ▁rise ▁in ▁popular ity ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁L ichten stein ▁created ▁his ▁first ▁l ith ograph ▁and ▁wood cut ▁art work ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁working ▁on ▁receiving ▁his ▁gradu ate ▁degree ▁in ▁fine ▁arts ▁from ▁Ohio ▁State ▁University . ▁During ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁he ▁created ▁abstract ▁paint ings ▁influenced ▁by ▁several ▁artists , ▁especially ▁Pablo ▁Pic asso . ▁From ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁through ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁L ichten stein ▁painted ▁what ▁were ▁considered ▁by ▁Gian ni ▁Mercur io ▁to ▁be ▁" j ag ged , ▁post - c ub ist " ▁designs ▁of ▁famous ▁American ▁art works . ▁Many ▁of ▁his ▁pieces ▁reflected ▁port ra its ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁west , ▁especially ▁Native ▁Americans ▁and ▁cow bo ys , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁other ▁them es , ▁such ▁as ▁images ▁of ▁president ▁George ▁Washington . ▁L ichten stein ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁period ▁as ▁his ▁" American " ▁series , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁generally ▁neg atively ▁received ▁by