Although this figure occupies very little space itself, it engages space and gains a kind of psychological heft from its emphatic pointed finger. This gesture directs the viewer’s attention away from the sculpture and toward the sightline indicated by the outstretched arm and finger. Alberto Giacometti’s seemingly scorched figures, such as Man Pointing, have been linked to the horrors of World War II. Their insubstantial linear forms, engulfed in seemingly vast space, convey a sense of alienation that was also a prominent theme of Existentialist writers in Europe at the time. Giacometti made Man Pointing for his first exhibition in New York City, held at the Pierre Matisse Gallery in 1948. He worked rapidly, reportedly finishing the initial model in just one night.