Author Description

The iconoclastic creations of Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968) radically changed the 20th century art as well as our notion of it. Munich’s role in this is worthy of note. Annoyed at the rejections of his painting Nude Descending a Staircase, No.2 by the Salon des Indépendants, Duchamp traveled to Munich in late June 2012. He would ultimately remain for nearly three months, developing and preparing several important works including The Large Glass. A Deutsches Museum and the Bavarian Trade Fair, he discovered important technical details that inspired his readymades: the first readymade ever--Bicycle Wheel--was assembled the year following his stay in Munich. Duchamp would later say: "My stay in Munich was the scene of my complete liberation."