Woman With Her Throat Cut
Alberto Giacometti - Sculptor (1901-1966)
1932 - Cast in 1940
Bronze
9 1/8 x 35 1/16 inches (23.2 x 89 cm)
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
1932 - Cast in 1940
Bronze
9 1/8 x 35 1/16 inches (23.2 x 89 cm)
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Located at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is the sculpture titled Woman With Her Throat Cut. The artist, Alberto Giacometti, produced a series of sculptures using Surrealist techniques to explore the then popular topics of the subconscious, including the psycho-sexual tension between men and women. Surrealism was a movement which started in the 1920’s addressing the controversies and questions about the conditions of dreams and reality. The artwork from this time period is known for its eye-catching yet illogical scenes, which is seemingly fit since much of the art was inspired by artist’s dreams and subconscious desires.
If we take a look at this particular sculpture, it is clearly a bronze cast but what is not clear is the image the artist meant to portray. It is a female laying on her back with her throat slit. It looks like an insect of some sort on a leaf, but does not clearly resemble a woman. The female shown as a victim and victimizer of male sexuality is often depicted in an insect or crustacean-like form, and in this case resembles a praying mantis. The praying mantis was an insect many surrealists found fascinating because of the female mantis's tendency to devour the male praying mantis after a sexual act. The absence of an obvious head shape would also not help any audience of viewers realize that it is in fact a depiction of a female figure. If one locates the torso, the rigid movement of the legs can be followed as they are arched in a form that suggests sexual pleasure and the pain of death, while one leg is bent underneath the entirety of the sculpture. Signs of rape and murder are evident. Further up, the arm seems to be covering the woman’s breasts, in what may be self defense or covering her shame. It ends in a cylindrical weight, which according to the artist was inspired by the nightmare of not having the strength to push an attacker away. Although the woman is inviting and has longing, she also represents the possibility of a dangerous trap if violated.
This sculpture’s contextualized themes such as rape, murder, and sexual tension between males and females would not be apparent to a viewer if they were not given background information. It is also important to note that during the 1920’s art was being influenced by theories of psychologists, such as Sigmund Freud, who was particularly interested in the subconscious sexual development which humans undergo. Woman With Her Throat Cut is a prime example of the issues featured within Surrealist art.
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