ticketsMember | Make a donation

Head/Skull

1934
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 903
Best known for the sculptures of attenuated and often isolated standing and walking figures he produced from the 1940s onward, Giacometti began his artistic exploration of existentially fraught subjects in the previous decade with works such as Head/Skull. Here, he reimagines the ephemeral human skull in a fixed, crystalline form, replacing the curvature of the head with flat planes and sharp facets to evoke the fleeting nature of life. The artist’s interest in psychologically disruptive imagery tied his work to the movement known as Surrealism.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Head/Skull
  • Artist: Alberto Giacometti (Swiss, Borgonovo 1901–1966 Chur)
  • Date: 1934
  • Medium: Plaster
  • Dimensions: Height: 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Gift of Estate of Sylvia Slifka, 2004
  • Object Number: 2004.209
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Mountain at Maloja
Alberto Giacometti
Kornfeld and Klipstein
1957
Untitled (Side View of Standing Female Figure) in Derriere le Miroir
Alberto Giacometti
1956
Annette, Alberto Giacometti Swiss, Oil on canvas
Annette
Alberto Giacometti
1961
Three Men Walking II, Alberto Giacometti Swiss, Bronze
Three Men Walking II
Alberto Giacometti
1949
The Cat, Alberto Giacometti Swiss, Bronze
The Cat
Alberto Giacometti
1954

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.