Modern and Contemporary Art Study for "Prière de toucher (Please Touch)" 1947 Marcel Duchamp, American (born France), 1887 - 1968 Plaster mounted on velvet in wood and glass frame Currently not on view 1997-33-1 Gift of Enrico Donati, 1997 |
LabelThis plaster carving of a female breast served as the model for the cover of the deluxe edition of the exhibition catalogue for the 1947 international Surrealist exhibition in Paris. Duchamp had hoped to handcraft individual plaster breasts for each of the 999 planned copies of the catalogue, but he abandoned that idea and instead hand-painted 999 foam-rubber "falsies" with the Surrealist artist Enrico Donati. Donati later recalled, "When we were finished, I told Marcel that I never thought I would get tired of handling so many breasts, and he replied, 'Maybe that's the whole idea.'" |
