Marcel Duchamp (1887 - 1968) has been claimed as the century's most influential artist, outstripping even Picasso. In this vivid study, the first full-scale biography, Calvin Tomkins explores Duchamp's haunting and potent art, setting his achievement within the context of his life and milieu.
This is the first account to give us an accessible and ample portrait of the artist, his humour, originality, seductive charm, love affairs. It also explores his effect on the contemporary cultural scene, from Europe to the USA and on the larger-than-life personalities who admired him including Picasso, Dali, Brancusi and Erik Satie. The result is the definitive portrait of a great artist and the culture that surrounded him.