Lot 102
  • 102

Marcel Duchamp

Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 EUR
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Description

  • Marcel Duchamp
  • Rotorelief
  • signed with the initials MD (on the disk Lampe); engraved with the signature Marcel Duchamp, the date 1965, numbered 88/150 and stamped with the title ROTORELIEF, 1935/1953 EDITION GALERIE SCHWARZ, MILAN (on a metal plaque affixed to the underside of the box), printed with the artist's Paris address 11 rue de Larrey Paris V
  • set of 12 images, printed on recto and verso of 6 cardboard disks in colour offset lithography; each disk printed with its title; with wall-mounted motorised turntable unit designed by Duchamp
  • diameter of each disk: 20 cm; 7 7/8 in.; motorised box dimensions: 37.5 x 37.5 x 12 cm; 14 3/4 x 14 3/4 x 4 3/4 in.

Provenance

Galleria Schwarz, Milan
Sale: Artcurial, Paris, June 8, 2006, lot 121
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. 36

Literature

Robert Lebel, Sur Marcel Duchamp, Paris, 1959, illustration of others versions pl. 108abc
Arturo Schwarz, The Complete Works of Marcel Duchamp, London, 1997, vol. II, no. 441d, illustration of another example from the edition p. 730
Francis M. Naumann, Marcel Duchamp: The Art of Making Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, New York, 1999, fig. 9.8, illustration in colour of another example for the edition p. 261
Francis M. Naumann, The Recurrent, Haunting Ghost: Essays on the art, life and legacy of Marcel Duchamp, New York, 2012, fig. 13.17, illustration of another example from the edition p. 133; fig. 13.1, p. 120, illustration in colour of the entire set of rotorelief disks

Condition

Assemblage of 6 circular cardboard disks contained their plastic holder, together with a motorized velvel and metal turntable (220V); the disks are interchangeable and can be placed on the motorized rotating support for viewing. There is a small loss to the edge of the 'Eclipse totale' disk, and some light handling marks to each disk, consistent with age and use. There is a small nick to the interior edge of the plastic disk holder. There is a small area of loss to the lower right corner of the velvet-covered box. There are some minor traces of rust to the metallic elements. The magnets which hold the disks for motorized display are weak and could be replaced for wall display. This work is in overall good working 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."

Catalogue Note

Duchamp's experimentation in perspective and optics could not be better expressed than in his 1935 series of Rotoreliefs and its subsequent present 1965 edition. Published by the Galleria Schwarz, the edition of 150 examples was presented on a motorised turntable, designed to spin at 33 1/3 revolutions per minute to achieve the ideal optical illusion. When viewed with one eye, each of the 12 rotating disks creates for the viewer a startling vision of depth and pulsating movement. Rotoreliefs can be considered as an extension of the same experimentation that had motivated the creation of Duchamp's Rotary Demisphere, an elaborate motorized construction made in 1925. One of the discs entitled Corolles was printed in red and black and adorned the cover of the French surrealist magazine Minotaure, no. 6, 1935.

Titles of the Rotoreliefs : Corolles, Lampe, Oeuf à la coque, Lanterne Chinoise, Escargot, Poisson japonais, Verre de Bohême, Cerceaux, Montgolfière, Cage, Eclipse totale, Spirale blanche.