Blue Crommelynck Gate

Early in his career, Ohio-born Jim Dine was considered a Pop artist, given that he frequently used everyday objects as subjects. Yet his career is multifaceted and defies categorization; what is certain is that he often takes up themes relating to mechanical processes, and tools—perhaps inspired by his grandparents’ ownership of a hardware store. Here, he riffs on the ornate iron gate at 172 rue de Grenelle, in Paris, the entrance to the studio of Aldo Crommelynck (1931–2008), a Belgian master printer with whom the artist collaborated closely. Ever inventive with materials, Dine had the image printed in black and silver ink on a surface prepared with a synthetic polymer.

The artist’s first solo museum exhibition was held at the Allen in 1965, and he has maintained an important relationship with the museum since that time. This work is part of a group of 100 prints he donated to the museum to mark its 2017 centennial.