Untitled (Face)

Jim Dine was only 24 when he completed this painting, likely one of the many self-portraits that would come to define his lifelong interest in deeply personal imagery. In 1957, Dine graduated from Ohio University and married Nancy Minto. Two years later, the couple was living in New York City, where Dine taught high school and became acquainted with the younger avant-garde painters who were challenging the seriousness and elitism associated with Abstract Expressionism by introducing ordinary, everyday objects into their paintings. As in this example, Dine’s early paintings were characterized by a broadly gestural style that combined bright colors and partially abstracted forms or figures. In later years, Dine would use symbolic objects, like hearts and bathrobes, to explore personal identity, memory, and the body.