During the two decades between 1946 and 1966, when the world at large had long since considered that he had given up “art”, Marcel Duchamp worked quietly in his New York studio…on the fabrication of a large and complex tableau to which he gave the title “Etants Donnés…” When his work was completed, he inscribed its title, the dates, and his signature on the right arm of the nude female figure that constitutes the central element of the tableau, and proceeded to prepare an illustrated manual of instructions for the use of anyone needing to take the assemblage apart or to reassemble it. This book is the reproduction, in full, of that manual.
A straightforward color reproduction, in actual size, of pages of the original three ring binder with photographs, drawings, and hand written notes pasted in, it is clear that the work in this manual was not made as any kind of preliminary sketch or study, but truly as the assembly guide it claims to be. That said, its interest today extends well beyond its designated purpose: it is both a visual and intellectual treasure trove from one of the grand masters of twentieth century art.
Includes a