- 103
Marcel Duchamp
Estimate
180,000 - 250,000 EUR
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Description
- Marcel Duchamp
- De ou Par Marcel Duchamp ou Rrose Sélavy (La Boîte en valise, Série C)
- miniature replicas and colour reproductions of works by Marcel Duchamp contained in a grey cloth-covered cardboard box enclosed in a valise of cloth-covered wood. Contains 68 items.
- 40 x 37.5 x 9 cm; 15 3/4 x 14 3/4 x 3 1/2 in.
Provenance
Sale: Artcurial, Paris, April 4, 2006, lot 108
Acquired at the above sale by Dr. Arthur Brandt
Acquired at the above sale by Dr. Arthur Brandt
Exhibited
Ithaca, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, A Private Eye: Dada, Surrealism and More from the Brandt Collection, 2006, illustrated in the catalogue p. 39
Literature
Robert Lebel, Sur Marcel Duchamp, Paris, 1959, illustration of another version pl. 109
Ecke Bonk, Marcel Duchamp, The Portable Museum, London, 1989, pp. 180-183, illustration of another example p. 299
Arturo Schwarz, The Complete Works of Marcel Duchamp, London, 1997, vol. II, no. 484, Series C, p. 764
Francis M. Naumann, Marcel Duchamp: The Art of Making Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, New York, 1999, fig. 7.20, illustration in colour of another example from the C series p. 190
Francis M. Naumann, The Recurrent, Haunting Ghost: Essays on the art, life and legacy of Marcel Duchamp, New York, 2012, fig. 14.22, illustration in colour of another example from the C series p. 151
Ecke Bonk, Marcel Duchamp, The Portable Museum, London, 1989, pp. 180-183, illustration of another example p. 299
Arturo Schwarz, The Complete Works of Marcel Duchamp, London, 1997, vol. II, no. 484, Series C, p. 764
Francis M. Naumann, Marcel Duchamp: The Art of Making Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, New York, 1999, fig. 7.20, illustration in colour of another example from the C series p. 190
Francis M. Naumann, The Recurrent, Haunting Ghost: Essays on the art, life and legacy of Marcel Duchamp, New York, 2012, fig. 14.22, illustration in colour of another example from the C series p. 151
Condition
Cloth-covered box: apart from some minor scuffs consistent with age and handling, this element is in good condition.
All 68 elements are present and intact. The plastic of the large glass is warped (standard for theses edition).There are two breaks to the plexiglass, the largest of which is approximately 3 cm, on the center and lower left corner. The "u" of the underwood traveler's folding item shows signs of rubbing.
This work is in well-preserved and very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
By 1935, Duchamp had created a sufficient number of iconic works that he decided to gather reproductions of them into yet another uniquely original work: La Boîte-en-valise, a suitcase that would open, unfold and expand with pull-outs. It was to be a retrospective and display of his iconic works to date, a portable museum containing no less than 68 individual works of art: the entire oeuvre of an artist of reproductions in miniature format to be discovered by the viewer. The concept proved to be popular and seven separate limited editions of the boîte (with or without the suitcase) were produced between 1941 and 1966.
In this version, one can notably see the reproductions of the following works: Fontaine (a clay miniature reproduction of the highly celebrated urinal after the Readymade), La Mariée mise à nu par ses célibataires, même (reproduction of Duchamp's monumental construction on glass (1915-23) that explores the complexities of male and female desire), Monte Carlo Bond (reproduction of an invented financial deed, devised to break the bank of the Monte Carlo Casino, 1924), the famous L.H.O.O.Q. and Air de Paris 50 cc (replica of a conceptual work of art trapping 50 cc of Paris air).
In this version, one can notably see the reproductions of the following works: Fontaine (a clay miniature reproduction of the highly celebrated urinal after the Readymade), La Mariée mise à nu par ses célibataires, même (reproduction of Duchamp's monumental construction on glass (1915-23) that explores the complexities of male and female desire), Monte Carlo Bond (reproduction of an invented financial deed, devised to break the bank of the Monte Carlo Casino, 1924), the famous L.H.O.O.Q. and Air de Paris 50 cc (replica of a conceptual work of art trapping 50 cc of Paris air).