Art historian Fred Hoffman's description alludes to a vision Basquiat may have conjured in the studio: "One can only speculate about the reasons for this hesitation, but several individuals close to the artist—including myself and Annina Nosei, the artist’s dealer at the time—suspect that this young, unseasoned artist hesitated to complete the work because he was caught off guard, possibly even frightened, by the power and energy emanating from this unexpected image.

Basquiat's use of heads and skulls are deeply rooted in his identity as a Black American and are evocative of African masks.

[4] "He developed a unique style, which combined expressive and at times violent brushstrokes with words, symbols, and a variety of materials, to confront social issues.

"[5] The painting was presented as Untitled at Basquiat's debut American solo exhibition at the Annina Nosei Gallery in 1982.

Hoffman suggests the change in title was "the result of confusing the work with the more traditional iconography of the memento mori, in which a skull implies death.