Basquiat’s thematic fixation on the head can be seen throughout his body of work—this is yet another iconic example of a motif that he visited and revisited during his tragically short career. The language of this image is reminiscent of 16th and 17th century vanitas still lifes that often incorporated skulls allegorizing the finality of death. Basquiat builds on this visual lineage while also exploring his own themes and interests. The figure displayed in this print is not quite a skull yet not quite a fully fleshed human; the head depicted exists in a liminal space. The exterior blue and brown lines suggest the presence of skin while the milky white interior seemingly depicts the color of its skull. Black wavy lines throughout the interior of the head bring to mind the grooves of the brain. The print is emblematic of Basquiat’s interest in dualities; in this instance life and death, interior and exterior, and light and dark.