Marcel Duchamp
Priere de toucher


1947
hand-painted foam rubber and black velvet
7.125 h x 8.25 w in (18 x 21 cm)

This work was created in collaboration between Duchamp and Enrico Donati for the Exposition Internationale du Surrealisme at the Maeght Gallery in Paris. Organizer Andre Breton enlisted Duchamp to design the cover of the catalog and for the deluxe, limited edition run, Duchamp and Donati purchased false breasts from a warehouse in Brooklyn and hand-painted each example to resemble the left breast of artist Maria Martins. They then affixed them to cardboard covers with the instructions Priere de toucher (Please touch) emblazoned on the back cover.

Provenance: Galerie Les Argonautes, Paris | Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica | Private Collection

Literature: Marcel Duchamp, D'Harnoncourt and McShine, pg. 324

This work will ship from Lambertville, New Jersey.

Condition of the item is not included in this description. Condition reports are available from Rago/Wright upon request. Rago/Wright strongly recommends that you review a condition report for each item on which you plan to bid. Email condition@ragoarts.com to request a condition report.