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MARCEL DUCHAMP (1887-1968) FRESH WIDOW inscribed "FRESH WIDOW COPYRIGHT ROSE SÈLAVY 1920" in bla...

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:600,000.00 - 800,000.00 USD
MARCEL DUCHAMP (1887-1968) FRESH WIDOW inscribed  FRESH WIDOW COPYRIGHT ROSE SÈLAVY 1920  in bla...
MARCEL DUCHAMP (1887-1968) FRESH WIDOW inscribed "FRESH WIDOW COPYRIGHT ROSE SÈLAVY 1920" in black paper tape letters affixed across the front of the sill; signed and dated "Marcel Duchamp 1964" in black ink on the backside of the sill; inscribed "Marcel Duchamp 1964 Ex Arturo" and engraved "FRESH WIDOW, 1920 EDITION GALERIE SCHWARZ, MILAN" on a copper plate affixed to the base miniature French window on wooden sill; painted wooden frame and eight panes of glass covered with black leather 311/8 x 173/4 x 4 in. (79 x 45.1 x 10.2 cm) executed 1920-1964 The original, produced in 1920, is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the present lot was produced under the artist's supervision after photographs and descriptions of the original; it is an artist's proof, dedicated to Arturo Schwarz, from an edition of eight plus one replica reserved for the artist and two replicas made for museum exhibition purposes. ESTIMATE: - $600,000-800,000 Constructed in 1920, the present work is the first sculpture that Duchamp signed with the name Rose Sélavy, the feminine alter ego he adopted in the same year. When phonetically translated into the artist's native tongue, Rose Sélavy possesses obvious erotic implications. While working under this pseudonym, Duchamp generated numerous works from similar verbal and visual puns. Fresh Widow, for example, derives its title from the object it replicates-a French window. Significantly, Duchamp has covered each pane of glass with a layer of polished black leather. On one level, this surface suggests an impenetrable night sky. On another, this same sheathing alludes to the dark veils worn by recent (or fresh) widows. In either case, Duchamp has refused the window its typical transparency, and thereby rejects the illusionism of traditional painting. Referring to this aspect of the present work, Duchamp has explained, "Instead of being considered a painter, I would have liked, on this occasion, to be thought of as a fenetrier....I was led by the idea (always) to make something that could not be called a picture (in this case 'make windows')." (A. Schwarz, The Complete Works of Marcel Duchamp, New York, 2000, p. 205.) PROVENANCE Dedicated by the artist to Arturo Schwarz, 1964 EXHIBITED NEW YORK, The Museum of Modern Art, NEW ACQUISITIONS [KATHERINE S. DREIER BEQUEST], June 23-October 4, 1953 (another example exhibited) Zurich, Kunstgewerbemuseum, Dokumentation Über Marcel Duchamp, June 30-August 28, 1960, p. 21 (another example exhibited) pasadena, Pasadena Art Museum, MARCEL DUCHAMP: A RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION, October 8-November 3, 1963, no. 67 (another example exhibited) NEW YORK, Cordier & Ekstrom, NOT SEEN AND/OR LESS SEEN OF/BY MARCEL DUCHAMP/RROSE SÉLAVY, 1904-64, January 14-February 13, 1965, no. 70 (another example exhibited) LONDON, The Tate Gallery, THE ALMOST COMPLETE WORKS OF MARCEL DUCHAMP, June 18-July 31, 1966, no. 138 (another example exhibited) PHILADELPHIA, Philadelphia Museum of Art; NEW YORK, The Museum of Modern Art and CHICAGO, The Art Institute of Chicago, MARCEL DUCHAMP, September 22, 1973-April 21, 1974, no. 134 (another example exhibited) PARIS, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre national d'art et de Culture Georges Pompidou, L'OEUVRE DE MARCEL DUCHAMP, January 31- May 2, 1977 (another example exhibited) VANCOUVER, British Columbia, The Vancouver Art Gallery, DUCHAMP READYMADES, April 29-June 4, 1978 (another example exhibited) OTTAWA, Alberta College of Art, MARCEL DUCHAMP: READYMADES, ETC., October 16-November 15, 1979, p. 43 (another example exhibited) BARCELONA, Fundació Joan Miró; MADRID, Sala de Exposiciones de la Caja de Pensiones and COLOGNE, Museum Ludwig, DUCHAMP, February 29-August 19, 1984, no. 63 (another example exhibited) MILAN, Accademia di Belle Arti di Bretra, MARCEL DUCHAMP, LA SPOSA... E I READYMADE, May 20-July 10, 1988, p. 65, no. 65 (another example exhibited) ANTWERP, Galerie Ronny van de Velde, MARCEL DUCHAMP, September 15-December 15, 1991 (present lot exhibited) VENICE, Palazzo Grassi, MARCEL DUCHAMP, April 4-July 18, 1993, p. 78 (another example exhibited) ONTARIO, Canada, National Gallery of Canada; CALGARY, Alberta, The Glenbow Museum; SACKVILLE, New Brunswick, The Owens Art Gallery; HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia; SHERBROOKE, Quebec, Galerie d'art du Centre Cultural de l'Université de Sherbrooke; WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Winnipeg Art Gallery; JONQUIÈRE, Quebec, Centre national d'exposition à Jonquière and WHITEHORSE, Yukon, Yukon Arts Centre, MARCEL DUCHAMP: DUSTBALLS & READYMADES, August 30, 1997-August 29, 1999 (another example exhibited) LITERATURE R. Lebel, SUR MARCEL DUCHAMP, PARIS, 1959, p. 46 (installation view), pl. 92 (another example illustrated) W. Hopps, U. Linde and A. Schwarz, MARCEL DUCHAMP: READY-MADES, ETC. (1913-1964), MILAN, 1964, p. 33, no. 19 (another example illustrated) A. Schwarz, THE COMPLETE WORKS OF MARCEL DUCHAMP, NEW YORK, 1969, p. 479, no. 265 (another example illustrated) A. Schwarz, MARCEL DUCHAMP, NEW YORK, 1975, pl. 122 (another example illustrated) T. Zaunschirm, BEREITES MÄDCHEN READY-MADE, KLAGENFURT, 1983, p. 112, fig. 34 and p. 77, fig. 19 (Duchamp studio installation illustration) J.-C. Bailly, DUCHAMP, NEW YORK, 1986, p. 59 (another example illustrated) U. Linde, MARCEL DUCHAMP, STOCKHOLM, 1986, p. 88 (another example illustrated) G. Moure, MARCEL DUCHAMP, LONDON, 1988, no. 102 (another example illustrated) M. Partouche, MARCEL DUCHAMP: UNE VIE D'ARTISTE, MARSEILLE, 1991, p. 68 (another example illustrated) P. Hulten, ed., MARCEL DUCHAMP: WORK AND LIFE, CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, 1993, p. 78 (another example illustrated) G. Borgna, ed., DADA: L'ARTE DELLA NEGAZIONE, ROME, 1994, p. 190, pl. III/2 (present lot illustrated) J. Mink, MARCEL DUCHAMP 1887-1968: ART AS ANTI-ART, COLOGNE, 1995, p. 69 (this work illustrated) D. Joselit, INFINITE REGRESS: MARCEL DUCHAMP, 1910-1941, CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, 1998, p. 153, fig. 3.6 (another example illustrated) D. Ades, N. Cox and D. Hopkins, MARCEL DUCHAMP, LONDON, 1999, p. 165, no. 127 (another example illustrated) F. M. Naumann, MARCEL DUCHAMP, THE ART OF MAKING ART IN THE AGE OF MECHANICAL REPRODUCTION, NEW YORK, 1999 (other examples illustrated, p. 86, fig. 3.45 and p. 247, fig. 8.72 ) A. Schwarz, THE COMPLETE WORKS OF MARCEL DUCHAMP, NEW YORK, 2000, p. 678, no. 376 (another example illustrated)