M A R C E L . D U C H A M P

born in Blainville, Normandy, France on 28 July 1887;

studied art at the Academie Julian, Paris, 1904-05;

painter from 1902;

associated with arists in Puteau, France, including

Leger, Picabia and Apollinaire;

painted "Nude Descending a Staircase" in 1912;

also made first drawings for "Bride Stripped Bare

by her Bachelors, Even" or "The Large Glass"

lived in New York 1915-27;

worked as a Librarian at the French Institute,

New York 1915;

associated with Dadaists and Surrealists,

including Tzara, Man Ray and Breton;

occasionally used pseudonym Rrose Selavy 1920;

founder member with Man Ray and Katherine Dreier

of the Societe Anonyme, New York 1920-39;

winner, Paris Chess Tournament 1932;

returned to New York and associated with exiled

surrealists Breton, Ernst, Matta and Tanguy 1942;

completed first sketches for last major work

"Etant Donnes" New York 1944;

died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France 1968;

other famous works include "Fountain"

(actually a urinal) and LHOOQ (or the Mona Lisa

with a moustache).