Alberto Giacometti, a renowned Swiss modernist, remained devoted to the figure throughout his artistic career. He worked tirelessly to reveal the essence of the human form, consistently “thinning” the figures until their bodies mimicked shadows—solid bronze yet imbued with a sense of ethereal nothingness. His models usually were his family and closest confidants-- most notably his wife Annette. In Annette IV, she faces forward, simultaneously confronting the viewer and looking beyond them into the void. The surface appears jagged, fraught with the evidence of Giacometti’s erratic jabs at the material. Annette’s expression is haunting and her tortured, hollow eyes convey an unspoken message.