Manual of Instructions for the assembly of Étant donnés: 1° la chute d'eau, 2° le gaz d'éclairage

Currently not on view

Manual of Instructions for the assembly of Étant donnés: 1° la chute d'eau, 2° le gaz d'éclairage

1966

Marcel Duchamp (American (born France), 1887–1968)

The second and final Manual of Instructions for the assembly of Étant donnés was prepared by Duchamp in 1966 to direct the work's eventual move to the Philadelphia Museum of Art after his death. Although the Manual is not intended to decipher or explain Étant donnés, its unexpected conjunctions of word and image, startling photocollages, and delicate drawings in graphite and colored inks transcend the notebook's practical purpose. In doing so, the Manual provides a wealth of detail concerning Duchamp's laborious construction of the tableau assemblage, as well as its history and evolution.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Manual of Instructions for the assembly of Étant donnés: 1° la chute d'eau, 2° le gaz d'éclairage

Date:

1966

Artist:

Marcel Duchamp (American (born France), 1887–1968)

Medium:

Black vinyl binder with gelatin silver photographs, drawings, and manuscript notes on paper and on photographs in graphite, colored inks, and paint in clear vinyl sheet protectors

Dimensions:

Binder: 11 5/8 x 9 13/16 x 1 3/4 inches (29.5 x 25 x 4.5 cm)

Classification:

Drawings

Credit Line:

Gift of the Cassandra Foundation, 1969

Accession Number:

1969-41-2

Geography:

Made in New York, New York, United States, North and Central America

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Currently not on view