Duchamp put a urinal on a plinth, signed it 'R. Mutt', and submitted it to an exhibition in 1917. The exhibition committee, which Duchamp was a member of, rejected it. He resigned in protest. The urinal, titled Fountain, is now considered one of the most important artworks of the twentieth century. The original was thrown away. Several replicas exist in major museums.
Key facts
Biography
He was born near Rouen in Normandy, the brother of the sculptor Raymond Duchamp-Villon and the painter Jacques Villon. The family produced three significant artists, which is unusual. Marcel was the youngest and the most destructive.
His early career moved through Impressionism, Fauvism, and Cubism in rapid succession. Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2 (1912), a Cubist-Futurist painting of fragmented motion, caused a scandal at the New York Armory Show in 1913. One critic called it 'an explosion in a shingle factory'. The painting made Duchamp famous in America before he had set foot there.
He moved to New York in 1915. His contribution to art from this point was largely conceptual. The 'readymades', ordinary manufactured objects designated as art by the artist's choice (a bottle rack, a snow shovel, the urinal), dismantled the idea that art required skill, craft, or even making. The artist's decision was sufficient.
He spent twenty years officially retired from art, playing chess at a competitive level. In secret, he was building Etant Donnes, an installation visible only through two peepholes in a door. It was revealed after his death in 1968 and is permanently installed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He had been working on it for twenty years while telling everyone he had stopped making art.
Timeline
- 1887Born in Blainville, Normandy, into a family of artists. Two older brothers were already established painters.
- 1913At 25, exhibited Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2 at the New York Armory Show, causing a sensation.
- 1917At 29, submitted Fountain (a porcelain urinal signed "R. Mutt") to the Society of Independent Artists in New York.
- 1923At 36, largely abandoned art-making in Paris, devoting himself to competitive chess for the next decade.
- 1968Died aged 81 in Neuilly-sur-Seine. After his death, the secret installation Etant donnes was revealed, built in private over twenty years.
Notable Works
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Where to See Marcel Duchamp
15 museums worldwide.
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44 works
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen - Robbrecht & Daem wing, Netherlands
- 10 works
National Gallery of Canada
Rideau-Vanier Ward, Canada
- 6 works
Eskenazi Museum of Art
Indiana, United States
Related Artists
Frequently Asked Questions
How did marcel duchamp die?
Marcel Duchamp died in 1968 at the age of 81.Is marcel duchamp's fountain art?
Marcel Duchamp's Fountain is considered one of the most important works of art of the twentieth century. It is one of the first examples of conceptual art and has inspired countless artists and art movements since its creation.Marcel duchamp's art style crossword?
Marcel Duchamp's earliest official showings took place in the Cubist years before the First World War. He left a deep impression on his time, contributing widely to the intellectual texture of his time.Was marcel duchamp's fountain destroyed?
The original Fountain by Marcel Duchamp was thrown away. However, several replicas exist in major museums today.What is marcel duchamp best known for?
Marcel Duchamp is best known for declaring that art was as much about ideas as it was about beauty. He played a major role in defining the art of the first half of the 20th century.What was marcel duchamp known for?
Marcel Duchamp played a major role in defining the art of the first half of the 20th century. His great contribution was declaring that art was as much about ideas, residing in the mind, as it was about the beauty of what can be seen.Why did marcel duchamp make the fountain?
Marcel Duchamp submitted Fountain for the inaugural exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists in New York in April 1917. It is considered one of the first examples of conceptual art and has inspired many artists and art movements since.Marcel duchamp fountain art style?
Marcel Duchamp's Fountain is an example of conceptual art. It is considered one of the most important works of art of the twentieth century.What was marcel duchamp's fountain?
Marcel Duchamp's Fountain was a porcelain urinal. It was submitted for the inaugural exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists in New York in April 1917.What work is marcel duchamp most known for?
Marcel Duchamp's Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2 is one of his most well-known works. When the work was shown at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris, it provoked criticism; the following year at the New York Armory Show, it scandalised the American public but made him instantly popular.Why was marcel duchamp's fountain a controversial piece of art?
Marcel Duchamp's Fountain was a controversial piece of art because it challenged traditional notions of what constitutes art. It was a porcelain urinal submitted for an exhibition in 1917.When was marcel duchamp born?
Marcel Duchamp was born in 1887 in United States. Marcel Duchamp died in 1968, aged 81.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Marcel Duchamp.
- [1] museum Buffalo AKG Art Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Institut Valencià d'Art Modern Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum Tate Modern Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Moderna Museet Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] book Guillaume Apollinaire, Cubism Used for: biography.
- [8] book guggenheim-handboo00pegg Used for: biography.
- [9] book guggenheim-jacquesvillonray00solo Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-31. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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