c. 1921

L'Homme aux yeux fatigués (The Man with Tired Eyes)

French, 1889 - 1963

The central circle and radiating lines in this drawing verge on geometric abstraction while also evoking the pupil and iris of the eyes referenced in the title. Eyes were a regularly occurring motif in Surrealism, a movement with which Suzanne Duchamp and her artistic family were closely associated. Duchamp’s work was informed by both the Surrealist and Dada styles of her brothers, Marcel Duchamp, Jacques Villon, and Raymond Duchamp-Villon, and her husband, Jean Crotti. Despite her close ties to these strong artistic personalities, Duchamp carved out her own path and displayed her work at major venues, including the Salon des Indépendants as well as exhibitions organized specifically by and for women artists.