Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Jim Dine. It dates from 1978 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
This image is a drypoint print of a plant with a thick stem and leaves at the bottom. The plant has a cluster of leaves at the top, with some hanging down. The background is a light color, and the plant is drawn in dark lines.
The print is signed and dated in the lower center, but the signature is not legible. The date appears to be 1978.
To learn more about this technique, look up "drypoint".
Overview
The work measures the typical size of Dine’s intaglio pieces and bears his signature and date in the lower center, though the lettering is faint.
Created in 1978, this dry‑point print by American artist Jim Dine depicts a stylized plant. Rendered in stark, dark lines against a light background, the composition features a robust stem supporting a cluster of leaves that fan outward and droop slightly. The work measures the typical size of Dine’s intaglio pieces and bears his signature and date in the lower center, though the lettering is faint.
Subject & Meaning
The image centers on a single botanical form, emphasizing the plant’s structural vigor through exaggerated thickness of the stem and the dense arrangement of foliage. While Dine’s oeuvre often explores everyday objects and bodily motifs, this piece isolates the plant as an abstracted symbol of growth and resilience, inviting viewers to consider the vitality inherent in simple natural forms.
Technique & Style
Executed with dry‑point, an intaglio method where a sharp needle incises lines directly onto a copper plate, the print retains the characteristic burr that yields rich, velvety blacks. Dine’s hand‑drawn approach produces a spontaneous, gestural quality, with varied line weight conveying texture and depth. The limited tonal range and the crisp, unmodulated background highlight the immediacy of the drawing process.
History & Provenance
The work entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of post‑war American printmaking. Acquired shortly after its creation, the piece reflects MoMA’s commitment to documenting Dine’s multidisciplinary practice and the broader resurgence of interest in traditional print techniques during the late 1970s.
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),…
