During the summer of 1982, Basquiat developed a new series of self-portrait-inspired paintings that revolved around the theme of the prophet. A snapshot from Nosei's basement, which served as Basquiat's workspace, revealed that Untitled might be the core piece of this new trilogy. In contrast to his previous works, these renditions depicted prophets in a more emblematic and sacred light, exuding an enhanced and conflicted sense of psychology. These images bore strong African influences, visually representing energy and the figures' inner physiology as if through an x-ray. Particularly, the face of the figure in Untitled bears resemblance to West African sculpture, potentially foretelling Basquiat's later griot figures. These figures can be understood as earthly griots rather than elusive, shamanic entities, reflecting the West African tradition of storytellers and philosophers.

This narrative, however, took a turn following a fallout between Basquiat and Nosei. Under unclear circumstances, Basquiat allegedly returned to the basement studio during Nosei's absence and destroyed several of his works, including one of the prophet paintings. Some speculate that Basquiat's actions were influenced by his fear of "ghosts" entering his art, while others argue it was a calculated move to sever his ties with Nosei. Consequently, only two of the original prophet paintings remained intact: Untitled (Prophet I) and Untitled.

Basquiat continued refining these pieces, substantially transforming their aesthetic from the initial photographed state. In Untitled, for instance, Basquiat transitioned from a simple graphic representation to a potent depiction of a prophet figure melting into, or perhaps emerging from, a vibrant abstract canvas laden with expressive brushwork. This aesthetic approach resembled his other prophet, angel, and devil figures painted against similar abstract backdrops on large-scale canvases in Italy earlier that year.

With Untitled's expressive painting style and semi-abstract composition, Basquiat seemingly challenged the leading figures of 20th-century art, including Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and arguably the modern art titan, Pablo Picasso. As suggested by the recurring boxing imagery in his work, Basquiat viewed himself as a budding competitor in the art world, and in Untitled, he aimed to meld his dynamic self-representation with the influential gestural and abstract styles championed by Pollock and de Kooning.