Marcel Duchamp
Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp was born on the 28th of July 1887 in Rouen, France. He grew up in a household where art was not merely a hobby but a family profession. His father Eugene and mother Lucie had seven children, four of whom became successful artists. Jacques Villon worked as a painter and printmaker while Raymond Duchamp-Villon sculpted. Suzanne Duchamp-Crotti also painted and remained close to Marcel throughout his life.
At eight years old, Duchamp began schooling at the Lycée Pierre-Corneille in Rouen. Two other students in his class would become well-known artists and lasting friends: Robert Antoine Pinchon and Pierre Dumont. This early environment fostered a deep connection between personal relationships and artistic development.
Duchamp studied art at the Académie Julian starting around 1904 or 1905. He preferred playing billiards to attending classes there. The Académie Julian was one of several independent academies that sprang up in reaction to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. In 1905, he began his compulsory military service with the 39th Infantry Regiment. While working for a printer in Rouen during this period, he learned typography and printing processes, skills he would use extensively in his later work.
His earliest paintings showed clear influences from Fauvism and Paul Cézanne's proto-Cubism. Guillaume Apollinaire criticized what he called "Duchamp's very ugly nudes" yet prophesied that Duchamp could reconcile art and people. During this time, Duchamp became fascinated with transition, change, movement, and distance. Many artists of the era were intrigued by depicting the fourth dimension in art.
Sad Young Man on a Train embodied these concerns through parallel movements and distortion. The painting depicted a sad young man moving about a train corridor while linear elements followed each other like parallels. This formal decomposition stretched the object as if elastic. Duchamp used similar procedures in Nude Descending a Staircase, which would become his first major controversy.
In 1913, Duchamp installed a bicycle wheel upside down onto a stool in his studio. He spun it occasionally just to watch it. Although often assumed to be the first readymade, this particular installation was never submitted for any art exhibition and eventually disappeared. Initially, the wheel simply created atmosphere: "I enjoyed looking at it just as I enjoy looking at the flames dancing in a fireplace."
Bottle Rack from 1914 stands as the first pure readymade. It was a bottle-drying rack signed by Duchamp himself. In Advance of the Broken Arm from 1915 followed soon after, a snow shovel also called Prelude to a Broken Arm. These found objects questioned the very notion of art itself.
Fountain shocked the art world when presented in 1917. A urinal signed with the pseudonym R. Mutt became the most prominent example of Duchamp's association with Dada. Artworks in the Society of Independent Artists shows were not selected by jury, yet all pieces submitted were displayed. The show committee insisted that Fountain was not art and rejected it from the show entirely.
This caused an uproar among Dadaists and led Duchamp to resign from the board of the Independent Artists. Along with Henri-Pierre Roché and Beatrice Wood, he published multiple Dada magazines including The Blind Man and Rongwrong. These publications included art, literature, humor, and commentary.
In 1919, Duchamp made a parody of the Mona Lisa by adorning a cheap reproduction with a mustache and goatee. He added the inscription L.H.O.O.Q., which sounds like "Elle a chaud au cul" when read aloud in French. This translates roughly as "She has a hot ass," implying sexual excitement or availability. Some researchers suggest the apparent Mona Lisa reproduction may be modeled partly on Duchamp's own face.
Dada began in Zürich, Switzerland, in 1916 before spreading to Berlin shortly thereafter. It emerged as a negative reaction to the horrors of World War I. An international movement started by artists and poets associated with the Cabaret Voltaire in Zürich, Dada rejected reason and logic while prizing nonsense, irrationality, and intuition.
The origin of the name remains unclear. Some believe it is a nonsense word while others maintain it originates from Romanian artists Tristan Tzara and Marcel Janco's frequent use of da, meaning yes in their language. Another theory suggests the name came during a meeting when a paper knife stuck into a French-German dictionary pointed to dada, a French word for hobbyhorse.
Francis Picabia connected with the Dada group in Zürich and brought Dadaist ideas of absurdity and anti-art to New York. Duchamp and Picabia first met in September 1911 at the Salon d'Automne in Paris where they were both exhibiting. According to Duchamp, "our friendship began right there." A group met almost nightly at the Arensberg home or caroused in Greenwich Village.
New York Dada had less serious tone than European Dadaism and was not particularly organized. Duchamp contributed his ideas and humor to these activities alongside Man Ray. Many ran concurrent with development of his Readymades and The Large Glass. When he returned to Paris after World War I, Duchamp did not participate in the Dada group.
Duchamp created Société Anonyme in 1920 along with Katherine Dreier and Man Ray as an experimental exhibition context predating the Museum of Modern Art. It became the first modern art collection in the United States.
Duchamp worked on The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors Even from 1915 to 1923 except for periods in Buenos Aires and Paris between 1918 and 1920. He executed the work on two panes of glass using materials such as lead foil, fuse wire, and dust. The piece combined chance procedures, plotted perspective studies, and laborious craftsmanship.
He published notes called The Green Box intended to complement the visual experience. These reflected creation of unique rules of physics and a mythology describing the work. His "hilarious picture" depicted erotic encounter between a bride and her nine bachelors. Notes, sketches, and plans were drawn on his studio walls as early as 1913.
To concentrate on this work free from material obligations, Duchamp found work as librarian while living in France. After immigrating to the United States in 1915, he began work on the piece financed by support of the Arensbergs. They remained his friends and patrons for 42 years. In lieu of rent they agreed that payment would be The Large Glass itself.
An art gallery offered Duchamp $10,000 per year in exchange for all yearly production but he declined preferring to continue work on The Large Glass. The piece was formally declared unfinished in 1923. Returning from its first public exhibition in shipping crate, the glass suffered large crack. Duchamp repaired it but left smaller cracks intact accepting chance element as part of piece.
In 1918, Duchamp took leave of New York art scene interrupting work on Large Glass and went to Buenos Aires where he remained nine months often playing chess. He carved own chess set from wood with help from local craftsman who
made knights. He moved to Paris in 1919 then back to United States in 1920.
Upon return to Paris in 1923, Duchamp was essentially no longer practicing artist. Instead his main interest became chess which he studied rest of life to exclusion of most other activities. During this period fascination with chess so distressed first wife that she glued pieces to chessboard.
Duchamp continued playing French Championships and Chess Olympiads from 1928 to 1933 favoring hypermodern openings such as Nimzo-Indian. Sometime early 1930s he reached height of ability but realized little chance winning recognition top-level chess. Participation declined while he discovered correspondence chess becoming chess journalist writing weekly newspaper columns.
While contemporaries achieved spectacular success selling works high-society collectors, Duchamp observed "I am still victim of chess. It has all beauty of art, and much more. It cannot be commercialized. Chess is much purer than art in its social position." In 1932 he teamed with chess theorist Vitaly Halberstadt publishing L'opposition et cases conjuguées sont réconciliées known as corresponding squares.
This treatise described Lasker-Reichhelm position extremely rare type arising endgame. Using enneagram-like charts folding upon themselves authors demonstrated Black could hope only draw. The theme of endgame important understanding complex attitude toward artistic career.
Duchamp's final major artwork surprised art world believing he had given up art for chess twenty-five years earlier. Entitled Étant donnés: 1° la chute d'eau / 2° le gaz d'éclairage it was tableau visible only through peephole wooden door. Nude woman
seen lying back face hidden legs spread one hand holding gas lamp air against landscape backdrop.
He worked secretly on piece from 1946 to 1966 in Greenwich Village studio while even closest friends thought abandoned art. Torso nude figure based on lover Brazilian sculptor Maria Martins whom affair lasted from 1946 to 1951. Until 1969 Philadelphia Museum Art revealed Étant donnés tableau, Large Glass thought last major work.
In 1938 Duchamp participated design Exposition Internationale du Surréalisme held Galerie des Beaux-arts Paris. Show organized André Breton and Paul Éluard featuring two hundred twenty-nine artworks sixty exhibitors fourteen countries at multimedia exhibition. Duchamp named Generateur-arbitre while Salvador Dalí Max Ernst listed technical directors.
Main hall Salle de Superstition became cave-like Gesamtkunstwerk notably including installation Twelve Hundred Coal Bags Suspended Ceiling over Stove literally 1,200 stuffed coal bags suspended ceiling. Floor covered Paalen dead leaves mud Montparnasse Cemetery. Middle grand hall underneath coal sacks Paalen installed artificial water-filled pond real water lilies reeds called Avant La Mare.
Single light bulb provided only illumination patrons given flashlights view art idea Man Ray. Around midnight visitors witnessed dancing shimmer scantily dressed girl suddenly arose reeds jumped bed shrieked hysterically disappeared quickly. Much Surrealists satisfaction exhibition scandalized many guests.
Many critics consider Duchamp one most important artists twentieth century output influenced development post-World War I Western art. He advised modern art collectors such Peggy Guggenheim helping shape tastes Western art during period. Challenged conventional thought artistic processes rejected emerging art
market through subversive anti-art.
In 1958 Duchamp said creativity not performed artist alone spectator brings work contact external world deciphering interpreting inner qualifications adding contribution creative act. In BBC interview Joan Bakewell conducted 1968 compared art religion wishing do away art way many done religion.
Prix Marcel Duchamp established 2000 annual award young artist Centre Georges Pompidou. In 2004 panel prominent artists historians voted Fountain most influential artwork twentieth century. On the 17th of November 1999 version Fountain owned critic gallerist Arturo Schwarz sold Sotheby's New York for $1,762,500 to Dimitris Daskalopoulos declaring Fountain represented origin contemporary art.
Record since surpassed work sold Christie's Paris titled Belle Haleine Eau de Voilette readymade perfume bottle box sold record $11.5 million €8.9 million. An open-access interdisciplinary online journal dedicated study Marcel Duchamp called Tout-Fait launched 1999 published CyberBOOK+ Publications digital publishing arm New York-based nonprofit Art Science Research Laboratory.
Duchamp died suddenly peacefully early morning the 2nd of October 1968 home Neuilly-sur-Seine France after evening dining friends Man Ray Robert Lebel retired 1:05 am collapsed studio died heart failure. Buried Rouen Cemetery Rouen France epitaph "D'ailleurs c'est toujours les autres qui meurt" meaning Besides always others who die.
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Common questions
When and where was Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp born?
Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp was born on the 28th of July 1887 in Rouen, France. He grew up in a household where art was not merely a hobby but a family profession.
What year did Marcel Duchamp create his first pure readymade artwork?
Marcel Duchamp created Bottle Rack from 1914 as the first pure readymade. This bottle-drying rack was signed by Duchamp himself to question the very notion of art itself.
Why did Marcel Duchamp resign from the board of the Independent Artists society?
Marcel Duchamp resigned from the board of the Independent Artists because the show committee rejected Fountain from the exhibition entirely. The urinal signed with the pseudonym R. Mutt shocked the art world when presented in 1917.
How long did Marcel Duchamp work secretly on Étant donnés before its public reveal?
Marcel Duchamp worked secretly on the piece from 1946 to 1966 in Greenwich Village studio while even closest friends thought he had abandoned art. Until 1969 Philadelphia Museum Art revealed Étant donnés tableau, Large Glass thought last major work.
When and how did Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp die?
Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp died suddenly peacefully early morning the 2nd of October 1968 home Neuilly-sur-Seine France after evening dining friends Man Ray Robert Lebel retired 1:05 am collapsed studio died heart failure. He is buried Rouen Cemetery Rouen France epitaph D'ailleurs c'est toujours les autres qui meurt meaning Besides always others who die.