Seven White Hammers

Jim Dine's lifelong fascination with hand tools grew out of his childhood experiences visiting his grandfather's Ohio hardware store. For Dine, the tool is an extension of the hand, emblematic of physical nature of work, including the work of the artist in his studio. In this mixed intaglio print, he presents a procession of seven hammers, which seem to march across the scene like figures in the night. Other hand tools appear in the shadows, each carefully described in etching and drypoint. Dine's masterful draftsmanship and dramatic use of light and shade bring a palpable vitality to the subject.