The Chariot

The Chariot, with its elongated, emaciated form; anguished, lacerated surface; solitary presence; and precarious stance, is a stark and powerful statement about the human condition. The sculpture is associated with Etruscan and Egyptian chariot motifs as well as with Giacometti's memories of "a pharmacy wagon being wheeled around the room" in the Bichat Clinic where he had been a patient. Equally significant to The Chariot is the existential philosophy of his friend Jean-Paul Sartre. Existentialism emphasizes the isolation of the individual in an indifferent universe, where one's existence is defined by each choice one makes. The female figure in The Chariot is a poignant reminder of the fragility of life.