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Artist a Day:  Marcel Duchamp

Artist a day! MARCEL DUCHAMP  (1887-1968)  Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp was a French painter who explored sculpture and writing. He was associated with Cubism, Dada, and conceptual art.

Pencil, ink, and watercolor on paper, 1901

Portrait of Yvonne Duchamp

Duchamp's Works

"Readymades," as Duchamp named them, disrupted centuries of regarding the artist's position as a professional creator of original handcrafted objects.

Ready-made, 1913

Bicycle Wheel

Duchamp's Works

Instead, Duchamp reasoned, "An ordinary object [could be] elevated to the dignity of a work of art by the mere choice of an artist."

Ready-made, 1925

Rotary Demisphere

Duchamp's Works

In 1915, Duchamp's Fountain turned the world's art upside down with his new readymade sculpture.

Ready-made, 23.5 x 18 cm, 1917

Fountain

Duchamp's Works

Artists and critics argued over whether the porcelain urinal was art or a scheme in very different ways—the artist's determination to label the urinal a readymade transformed modern art history.

Pencil on postcard, 19.7 x 12.4 cm, 1919

L.H.O.O.Q, Mona Lisa with Moustache

Duchamp's Works

Aquatint etching on paper, 1968

Selected Details after Rodin

Duchamp's Works

“I don't believe in art. I believe in artists.”

Famous Quote by  Marcel Duchamp

Oil on canvas, 55.6 x 38.7 cm, 1907

Man seated by a window

Duchamp's Works

Aquatint etching on paper, 34.7 x 23.7 cm, 1968

Selected Details after Cranach

Duchamp's Works

“I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste.”  

Famous Quote by  Marcel Duchamp

Oil and varnish on glass, 1923

The Bride Stripped Bare by her Bachelors

Duchamp's Works

Pencil on paper, 24.8 x 15 cm, 1959

With My Tongue in My Cheek

Duchamp's Works

“Art is not about itself but the attention we bring to it.”  

Famous Quote by  Marcel Duchamp

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