Marcel Duchamp Studio

Greenwich Village

New York City

Art & Culture | History

A "Fountain" of Artistic Genius Worked Here

Marcel fountaine stieglitz greenwich village histroy

About Marcel Duchamp Studio

& why it made the Carpe City list

Marcel Duchamp was born in France on July 28, 1887, and died on October 2, 1968. He was trained as a painter in Paris until 1905 and spent much of his adult life living in Paris and New York City.
One would surmise that he moved to Greenwich Village due to his love of art. However, the real reason was to be near the “Marshall Chess Club!” Duchamp held a lifelong passion for chess. He devoted so much time to this “hobby” that he gave up his art career to play competitively from 1926 to 1934.
Duchamp is considered to be the forefather of Conceptual Art. He insisted that art should be driven by “ideas” and refused to follow a traditional artistic path. He produced a relatively small number of works in his lifetime; he found contentment in letting other artists build upon his concepts. Many believe Duchamp invigorated Surrealism, Dada, and Pop Art.
Duchamp’s contempt for the standard convention is reflected in his involvement with the “Arch Conspirators.” In January 1917, Duchamp and a group of fellow artists gathered in Washington Square Park to declare “liberation” for the “Free and Independent Republic of Washington Square.” Their intent was to free the neighborhood of mainstream customs and ideas.
“Fountain” was a readymade sculpture concocted by Duchamp in 1917. He turned a porcelain urinal on its side and signed it “R. Mutt.” In April 1917, he submitted this for the “Society of Independent Artists” exhibition in New York. Duchamp explained that “everyday objects raised to the dignity of a work of art by the artist’s act of choice.”
“Fountain” was photographed, and the photo was published in the Dada journal, “The Blind Man.” The original was lost, but that work is regarded by art historians and avant-garde theorists as a landmark in 20th Century art.
For twenty years, Marcel Duchamp clandestinely worked in his New York City studio on his final art piece, Étant donnés. After his death, his friends were stunned to find it hidden in his studio. It was an exceedingly detailed, room-encompassing illustration, which could be peered at through two peepholes upon entering the room.
Marcel Duchamp is considered one of the greatest artists of his time. His attitude toward art and society altered the future of the visual arts.