Modern and Contemporary Art Portrait of Dr. Dumouchel 1910 Marcel Duchamp, American (born France), 1887 - 1968 Oil on canvas Currently not on view 1950-134-508 The Louise and Walter Arensberg Collection, 1950 |
LabelIn this mysterious painting, in which the influence of Henri Matisse and the Fauves is evident in the scrubby paint handling and use of non-naturalistic iridescent colors, Duchamp envelops the left hand of his childhood friend with a strange emanation, like a halo or aura. Raymond Dumouchel was a medical student in the field of radiology when he posed for this portrait, so the artist's treatment of his hand probably refers to his pioneering work with X-rays and other recent scientific inventions. However, the glowing nimbus that surrounds his hand also suggests that Dumouchel possessed special healing powers or extrasensory perceptions.ProvenanceDr. Raymond Dumouchel, France; sold to Louise and Walter C. Arensberg, Los Angeles, July 1951 [1]; gift to PMA, 1950. 1. According to the Arensbergs' provenance notes dated 1951 (PMA, Arensberg Archives). |
