Marcel Duchamp

Revolutionized modern art by challenging traditional aesthetics and introducing conceptualism

Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968) stands as one of the most influential figures in 20th-century art, radically altering perceptions of creativity through works like Fountain (1917), a urinal he presented as sculpture. By questioning the very definition of art, Duchamp pioneered the Dada movement and laid the groundwork for conceptual art.

His "readymades"—ordinary objects recontextualized as art—shattered hierarchies of craftsmanship and originality. Works such as Bicycle Wheel (1913) forced viewers to reconsider the role of intentionality and institutional validation in art. Duchamp’s subversive approach influenced movements like Surrealism and Pop Art, inspiring artists such as Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns.

Duchamp’s The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (1915–1923), also known as The Large Glass, combined mechanical imagery with erotic symbolism, blending science and poetry. His later years were dedicated to experimental films and chess, further cementing his legacy as a boundary-defying polymath.