Drawing inspiration from Claude Monet's impressionist oil paintings of Rouen Cathedral, Roy Lichtenstein's 1969 Cathedral series is characterized by his bold use of color. The series is directly influenced by photographs capturing Monet's 1894 depictions of the historic cathedral in Rouen. While Lichtenstein didn't paint en plein air like Monet, his vibrant coloring in the Cathedral series injects fresh significance into the overexposed image of the monument.

Monet painted his series directly at the Rouen Cathedral site in the Normandy region of France over two years, aiming to capture the fleeting interplay of light on the building's facade. The repetitive exploration of the same theme reflects a distinctly painterly approach, with expressive brushwork emphasizing the magnificence of the Rouen Cathedral.

In contrast, Lichtenstein presents his own interpretation of Monet's work in the Cathedral series, employing yellow and white hues to suggest daylight and blue and black to signify the onset of night. This distinction underscores a key difference between Monet and Lichtenstein. Monet focused on the interchangeability and transience of a single motif, while Lichtenstein's 1969 Cathedral series, influenced by commercial aesthetics, delves into mass-media systems and reproduction techniques.