Me in Horn-Rimmed Glasses 1979

This etching, 'Me in Horn-Rimmed Glasses' was made by Jim Dine. The palette is earthy, ochres and reds, with the stark black of the glasses cutting through. I can imagine Dine making this, scratching into the plate, wiping it, printing it – a real hands-on process. There’s a raw, immediate quality, like he's trying to capture something fleeting. The lines feel like thoughts forming, a kind of self-interrogation. It reminds me of other artists, like Lucien Freud, who aren't afraid to look hard, unflinchingly at themselves and at others. Look at the way Dine renders his eyes, those quick, scribbled marks that somehow convey depth and emotion. It’s a reminder that painting and printmaking can be a way of seeing, thinking, and feeling. Artists are constantly in dialogue across time, inspiring each other. Dine is inviting us to engage in this ongoing conversation.