Philip Koch writes about the unmistakeable power of Alberto Giacometti's 1921 self-portrait: "Within the confines he chose to work within, I have to admit he did a fine job of it. In particular, he posed himself to make a tightly organized composition that has a nervous pulsing energy to it… There is an unmistakable early 20th century feel to this painting. It couldn't have been painted in 1821 instead of 1921."