Book Description

This wide-ranging and definitive volume illustrates how Marcel Duchamp's groundbreaking practice influenced 20th- and 21st-century art. This book documents Barbara and Aaron Levine's extraordinary collection of Duchamp's work, one of the most significant private holdings of the artist in the world, which has been promised to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Acquired over decades, these artworks span Duchamp's entire career, demonstrating his critical role in the development of 20th-century art and his influence on artists working today. The collection features an exceptional group of readymades, such as Hat Rack, Comb, and With Hidden Noise, which exemplify how Duchamp elevated ideas over craftsmanship and aesthetics. Prints and drawings by the artist offer an introduction to his unique approach to reproductions, while portraits of Duchamp by Man Ray, Irving Penn, Diane Arbus, and Henri Cartier-Bresson reveal other sides of this enigmatic genius. The book also contains insights about Duchamp's significance as an artist and the rise and fall of his critical fortunes, as well as an interview with the collectors. This strikingly designed volume, with fold-outs and comparative illustrations, places Duchamp squarely in the context of both modern and contemporary art, and affirms his radical status as an artist with continued relevance today. Published with the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution