Descending Stairs

Italian Vogue, May 2010 Editorial// Duchamp's Nude Descending 1912

Duchamp came to prominence at an odd time in art history. He began to gain recognition just after the cubist period was beginning to wane, and was therefore in the constant pursuit of finding a movement that was right for him. His portrayal of the nude descending the staircase is probably his most famous work today, aside from his Fountain, however, at the time the work was scoffed. He was trying to be innovative with a model that has been used since the beginning of the practice of art, the female nude. When looking through the Italian editorial, I felt that the placement of this female parallel to the staircase was interesting, and messed with the way one interprets the space and use of the stairs, and was therefore worthy of being placed next to Marcel Duchamp.