notes in general/old wine new bottles.
What does it mean that in the history of modernism, bad modern art, even bad examples produced by famous practitioners, is recognized as kitsch? A bad Cezanne, a bad Manet, a bad Picasso. Courbet at his worst is almost an inventor of the $39 oil painting. It's a common understanding that Lichtentstein worked in reverse, with what he thought of as kitsch. He referred to the military comics he copped from as fascist.

Roy Lichtenstein, Image Duplicator, 1963, magna on canvas, 24"x20"

But Manet and Cezanne began with kitsch as well. The difference is that they started with their own.