Inspired by the muted earth tones and expressive brushwork in Picasso's Les Femme d'Alger, Lichtenstein transforms his version by using primary colors, hard outlines, and enlarged halftone dots. The result is not so much a Lichtenstein that looks like a Picasso, but rather a Picasso that looks like a Lichtenstein.

Picasso's Les Femme d'Alger (Woman of Algiers) is a series of 15 paintings and numerous drawings. The series was inspired by Eugène Delacroix's 1834 painting Femmes d'Alger dans leur appartement (The Women of Algiers in their Apartment) .The series is one of several painted by Picasso in tribute to artists that he admired. 

Picasso began his first version six weeks after learning of the death of his lifelong friend and rival Henri Matisse — and so, for Picasso, the subject of this series of paintings held strong associations with Matisse as well as with Delacroix. "When Matisse died he left his odalisques to me as a legacy," Picasso remarked. 

Recently, Picasso's Les femmes d' Alger (Version 'O') sold for an all-time record of $179.3MM at Christie's, NY.

Click here for the auction record.