Artist Marcel Duchamp was born on July 28, 1887, in Blainville, France. He died on October 2, 1968.
The third of seven children, born to a wealthy father who was a notary public. Influenced by his older brothers who attended art school, he began painting while still a student. After graduating from high school, he moved to Paris where his brother lived and entered the municipal fine arts school, the Académie Julian.
In 1912, he produced a series of works, including "Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2." Around this time, Marcel's style began to show influences from Cubism. However, the Cubist group he belonged to at the time criticized his work. Marcel eventually withdrew from the group exhibition. However, when he exhibited the same work at the Armory Show in the United States in 1913, it immediately attracted attention. This led to Marcel's move to the United States in 1915. After moving to the United States, Marcel moved away from painting and began working on more experimental pieces. His most famous work is known as "The Large Glass." He painted motifs such as a bride and a chocolate grinder between two pieces of glass, using oil paint and lead foil. Though it was ultimately left unfinished, it became a precursor to conceptual art and had a profound influence on contemporary art. Marcel also began producing numerous ready-mades around this time. These are mass-produced, ready-made objects exhibited as they were. His "Fountain," exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants, consisted of nothing more than a signed men's urinal. It caused considerable controversy among the exhibition committee, ultimately being rejected. In his later years, he rarely exhibited any work, instead devoting himself to his hobby of chess. After his death, several of his posthumous works were exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.