Head of a Girl from the Assemblages d’empreintes series 1954

Jean Dubuffet created this 'Head of a Girl' as part of his Assemblages d’empreintes series, and it presents us with a primal image of humanity. The crude, almost childlike representation of the face, set against a dark ground, evokes an immediate, visceral response. Consider the eyes: simple circles, yet they gaze out with an intensity that is both unsettling and deeply human. This motif echoes across millennia, from the Cycladic idols of ancient Greece to the staring figures of tribal art. These eyes serve as potent symbols of consciousness and presence. The rough texture and earthy tones further connect this image to the raw, unfiltered expressions found in cave paintings. It's as if Dubuffet taps into a collective memory, bypassing centuries of artistic refinement to present us with something immediate. This reminds us of the enduring human need to represent ourselves, to leave our mark, however crude, on the world.