Vermont (The Autumn)

Artist Jim Dine (American, born 1935)

Date1984

DimensionsOverall) H: 80 in. (203.2 cm); W: 44 in. (111.8 cm); Depth: 30 in. (76.2 cm) in two parts;
Female Figure) H: 80 in. (203.2 cm); W: 19 in. (48.3 cm); Depth: 15 in. (38.1 cm);
Male Figure) H: 78 in. (198.1 cm); W: 23 in. (58.4 cm); Depth: 24 in. (61 cm)

MediumBronze

ClassificationSculpture

Credit LineGift of Georgia and David K. Welles

Object number

2003.53A-B

On View

Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Sculpture Garden

Label TextVermont (The Autumn) is a mysterious and complex image, named for the state where Ohio-born Jim Dine lived for fifteen years. The head of the male figure is cast from a tree stump, while the female figure holds a long, dead branch with one of her arms. These, combined with the hatchet—a device for cutting wood—add an element of menace, even fear, to the sculpture. Other details also remain unexplained. For example, the male figure holds out his hand in a mysterious gesture. The sculpture suggests an image that might arise in a dream—or perhaps a nightmare. In the end, much like a dream, the sculpture suggests certain feelings but resists any definite interpretation.