Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor drawing by Jim Dine. It dates from 1967 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
The face is just a blank oval with a yellow hat, and the hands hold what looks like rings.
This sketch shows a stick-figure person wearing a bright rainbow scarf. The face is just a blank oval with a yellow hat, and the hands hold what looks like rings. Around the edges, there’s messy writing in pencil—notes like *"rings," "Sammy Davis Jr.,"* and *"Olive Saline top of trousers."*
The artist scribbled a date in the corner: *9.0.1967*. The colors pop against the thin, see-through paper, making the rainbow stand out.
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Overview
Created in 1967, this work by American artist Jim Dine combines watercolor, felt‑tip pen, colored pencil and graphite on a sheet of paper that has been treated to become semi‑transparent. The piece is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art and exemplifies Dine’s interest in drawing as a primary mode of expression.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a simplified human figure rendered as a stick form, clothed in a vivid, multicolored scarf. The head is an empty oval topped with a yellow hat, and the hands clutch what appear to be rings. Scattered marginal notes in pencil reference “rings,” “Sammy Davis Jr.,” and “Olive Saline top of trousers,” suggesting a personal or associative narrative.
Technique & Style
Dine employs a mixture of media on the transparentized support, allowing the watercolor washes to glow through the paper while the felt‑tip pen and colored pencil provide bold line work and accentuated color. The loose, gestural marks and informal annotations convey a spontaneous, sketch‑like quality that blurs the line between finished drawing and preparatory study.
History & Provenance
The work bears the date “9.0.1967” in the lower corner, situating it within a prolific period for Dine when he was exploring everyday objects and figurative motifs across media. It entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings as part of the institution’s effort to document his multidisciplinary practice, which includes painting, printmaking, sculpture and photography.
Context
During the late 1960s Dine was associated with the Pop Art movement, yet his drawings often retained a personal, diaristic tone. The inclusion of cultural references such as Sammy Davis Jr. reflects his engagement with contemporary popular culture while maintaining an intimate, almost private visual language.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jim Dine (born June 16, 1935) is an American visual artist. Dine's work includes painting, drawing, printmaking (in many forms including lithographs, etchings, gravure, intaglio, woodcuts, letterpress, and linocuts),…
