Overview
This single-file export merges two internal “templates”: Dataset: Readymades and Illustrations Index. It organizes empirical object data and illustration groupings from:
Rhonda Roland Shearer, Gregory Alvarez, Robert Slawinski, Vittorio Marchi (textbox by Stephen Jay Gould), “Why the Hatrack is and/or is not Readymade,” Tout‑Fait (2000; updated 2019). Figures cited as “Illustration x / xA–xF” refer to that essay.
- Use the sidebar nav or the Illustrations Index to jump to anchors within the dataset.
- Comparative and methodological materials (Thonet models, black‑ground compositing, perspective diagnostics) appear in Related Works.
This page is intended as a neutral, structured reference; analysis claims are attributed to the Tout‑Fait essay unless otherwise noted.
Hatrack (1916–18; 1964)
Summary
- Artist: Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968)
- Common title(s): Hatrack (also “Readymade” in 1941 Boîte‑en‑valise)
- Original: 1916–17 (lost)
- Status: Known via 6 “snapshots” (5×2D, 1×3D)
- Key claim (Shearer): Hook counts/curvatures vary; blueprint, edition, and photos do not converge to a single mass‑produced model.
Illustrations (key)
2A–F; 10–11A–C; 14A–E; 15A–B; 17–18A
Timeline of representations — as seen by spectators
| Year (seen) | Representation | Medium / type | Notes (per Shearer) | Illustrations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | Tu m’ (detail) | 2D painted shadow | 2 long + 3 short hooks in shadow (inverted reading) | 2A; 15A |
| 1918 (photo) | Ombres portées (Cast Shadows) | 2D photographed shadow | 3 long + 2 short; ambiguous pairings | 2B; 17; 18A |
| 1941 | Boîte‑en‑valise print (from studio) | 2D print | Retouched from 1916–17 studio photo | 2C; 10 |
| 1960s (made 1916–17) | Studio photograph (found later) | 2D photograph | Altered studio view used for comparisons | — |
| 1964 | Workshop drawing | 2D blueprint | Traced/ambiguous; odd “separate” short hook; 2 long + 3 short | 2E; 11A–C |
| 1964 (seen 1991) | Schwarz edition (2nd version) | 3D wood model (ed. of 8) | 6 equal hooks, radial symmetry; carved, not bentwood | 2F; 14A |
Observations
- Hook numbers, lengths, and curvatures change across the six depictions; a single 3D form cannot be reconstructed from the full set.
- Blueprint vs. edition: 1964 blueprint (signed “okay, Marcel Duchamp”) does not match Schwarz’s final 3D form; the first version was reportedly rejected.
- Comparandum: 1904 Thonet bentwood hatrack (#11022) is the closest historical type but still does not match any single depiction; see Thonet entry.
Trébuchet (Coatrack) — 1917; 1964
Summary
- Title: Trébuchet (Coatrack)
- Original: 1916–17 studio coatrack (photo); “nailed to floor” anecdote
- Status: Known via 5 “snapshots” (4×2D, 1×3D)
Illustrations (key)
23A–E; 23F–I; 24A–C; 30–31A–B; 32A–C
Timeline of representations — as seen by spectators
| Year (seen) | Representation | Medium / type | Notes (per Shearer) | Illustrations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Boîte‑en‑valise print | 2D print | Retouched from studio photograph | 23A; 23E |
| 1960s (made 1916–17) | Studio photograph (found later) | 2D photo | Hooks lean backward; non‑uniform geometries | 23B; 24C |
| 1964 | Schwarz edition | 3D iron & wood | Straighter hooks; wood base proportions differ from studio | 23C |
| 1983 (made 1940) | “Working print” (Ecke Bonk) | 2D print | Paper cut‑out over masked studio background; compositing matrix | 23D; 32A–C |
| 1991 (made 1964) | Blueprint published | 2D blueprint | Iron specified; differs from studio geometry | 23E |
Observations
- Impossibility in material: Final sub‑hook bends could not occur in cast iron without breaking (at odds with “kicked around” if read as literal deformation in a single object).
- Compositing evidence: Fluffy cut edges; mismatched perspectives across hooks; “working print” separates board vs. hooks, consistent with photo assembly.
Fountain (1917; 1964)
Summary
- Title: Fountain
- Original: 1917 urinal (lost)
- Status: Known via 10 “snapshots” (8×2D, 2×3D)
- Key claim (Shearer): Two distinct urinals represented in 1917; Stieglitz image likely a composite.
Illustrations (key)
34A–H; 35A–E; 36A–E; 37A–D; 38A–B; 39A; 40A–F; 41–43; 45; 46–47
Timeline of representations — as seen by spectators
| Year (seen) | Representation | Medium / type | Notes (per Shearer) | Illustrations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | Stieglitz photo in The Blind Man No. 2 | 2D photograph | Likely composite; drain‑hole “patch,” top/bottom perspective discontinuity; scale anomalies | 34A; 38A–B; 40A–C |
| 1941 | Boîte‑en‑valise miniature | 3D model | First 3D snapshot | 34B |
| 1941 | Boîte print from studio photo | 2D print | From 1916–17 studio image | 34C |
| 1960s (made 1916–17) | Studio photo (found later) | 2D photograph | Used in tests vs. Bedfordshire type | 34D; 35B–E |
| 1964 | An Original Revolutionary Faucet: Mirrorical Return | 2D etching | Trace over Stieglitz with extra perspective piece (diagnostic) | 34E; 46A–C; 47A–B |
| 1964 | Schwarz edition (2nd corrected) | 3D pottery (ed. of 8) | First workshop model (from blueprints) lost | 34F |
| 1964 | Engineering drawings | 2D blueprints | Two sides + plan; basis for lost first model | 34G |
| 1989 (found 1950s) | Partial Stieglitz negative/print (Camfield) | 2D fragment | Used to model compositing “steps” | 34H; 37A–D; 39A |
Observations
- Comparanda: Trenton Potteries “Bedfordshire (with lip)” best matches the studio photos, not the Stieglitz print (which resists single‑view reconstruction).
- Compositing cues: Black‑ground behind urinal; inconsistent scales (tag/string/plinth), drain‑hole patch boundary under contrast; misaligned perspectives.
- Editions: Schwarz could not source mass‑produced prototypes for multiple readymades; editions were newly manufactured (consistent with the broader Shearer pattern).
Bicycle Wheel (with Stool) — 1913; 1916–17; 1964
Summary
- Title: Roue de bicyclette (Bicycle Wheel)
- Status: Original and 2nd version lost; known via studio photos, Boîte print, 1964 blueprint, 1964 edition (8).
Key empirical notes
- 1964 blueprint ambiguities (legs/rails misread from 1941 Boîte print); final edition regularizes symmetry beyond blueprint depiction. (12A–D)
- ASRL 3D model tests of 1916–17 wheel indicate a decentered axis (non‑central hub) producing visible rotation effects. (16A–B)
In Advance of the Broken Arm (Snow Shovel) — 1915; 1964
Summary
- Title: In Advance of the Broken Arm
- Status: Analyzed via 1964 blueprint and Schwarz edition.
Key empirical notes
- 1964 blueprint likely traced from a low-angle Man Ray photo; un‑corrected perspective convergence of shaft translated into a thinner/smaller physical model vs. measured edition. (13A–C)
Illustrations Index (internally linked)
Click the anchor links to jump to the associated dataset sections above.
| Illustration no. (set) | Subject / caption (short) | Linked dataset anchor(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Note from the Green Box (1934) | Hatrack | Readymade timing/seriality |
| 2A–F | Hatrack time‑series | Hatrack timeline | Six “snapshots” |
| 3A–B; 4A–C | White Box diagrams & application | Hatrack | Mental operations framing method |
| 7A–D; 8A; 9; 10 | Thonet hatracks & wireframe | Hatrack · Thonet | Comparandum for Hatrack |
| 11A–C | Hatrack blueprint overlay | Hatrack timeline | Drafting anomalies |
| 14A–E | Schwarz Hatrack & Thonet standing rack | Hatrack | Carved vs. bentwood “S” |
| 15A–B | Tu m’ vs. Thonet | Hatrack | Shadow fragments |
| 17; 18A–B | Ombres portées; With Hidden Noise | Hatrack | Composite/mirror cue |
| 23A–E | Coatrack time‑series | Coatrack timeline | Five “snapshots” |
| 23F–I; 30; 31A–B | Photo fakery diagnostics | Coatrack | Perspective tests; fluffy edges |
| 24A–C | Historical hooks vs. Schwarz base | Coatrack | Non‑coincident geometries |
| 32A–C | Boîte working print & analysis | Coatrack | “Smoking gun” for compositing |
| 34A–H | Fountain time‑series | Fountain timeline | Eight items → 10 “snapshots” |
| 35A–E; 36A–E | Bedfordshire comparanda; match attempts | Fountain | Stieglitz view resists single‑view |
| 37A–D; 38A–B; 39A | Composite tests; The Blind Man; partial Stieglitz | Fountain | Compositing “steps” hypothesis |
| 40A–F | Drain‑hole patch; catalog engravings | Fountain | Patch edge; molded edges context |
| 41A–D; 42A–D | Black‑ground method examples | Fountain | Masking/transfer silhouette |
| 43A–C | Urinal animation analyses | Fountain | Divergent “top vs. bottom” perspectives |
| 45A–C | Tag/scale; hanging “against gravity” | Fountain | Scale anomalies; feasibility |
| 46A–C; 47A–B | Etching overlay & animation | Fountain | “Multi‑view” signal (1964) |
| 12A–D | Bicycle Wheel: print; blueprint; studio; edition | Bicycle Wheel | Blueprint vs. edition symmetry |
| 16A–B | Bicycle Wheel: decentered axis | Bicycle Wheel | Rotation effect |
| 13A–C | Snow Shovel: photo; blueprint; models | Snow Shovel | Perspective convergence |
| 49A–D; 51A–G; 50A–B | Large Glass / Chocolate Grinder | Hatrack · Coatrack · Fountain | Shared “multi‑view” method |
| 55; 56A–B; 57A–C; 59–60 | Rotoreliefs; stereo pairs; Wanted Poster; 4D note | — | Optical context for fusion |
| 62 | Picasso, Violin and Grapes | — | Cubist alternative |
References
Primary empirical source
Rhonda Roland Shearer; Gregory Alvarez; Robert Slawinski; Vittorio Marchi; textbox by Stephen Jay Gould (2000; updated 2019). “Why the Hatrack is and/or is not Readymade: With Interactive Software, Animations, and Videos for Readers to Explore.” Tout‑Fait.
Figures referenced throughout: 1; 2A–F; 3A–B; 4A–C; 5–6; 7A–D; 8A; 9; 10–11; 12A–D; 13A–C; 14A–E; 15A–B; 16A–B; 17–18; 19A–B; 20A–C; 21A–B; 22A–C; 23A–E; 23F–I; 24A–C; 25A–B; 26A–B; 27–32; 33A–B; 34A–H; 35A–E; 36A–E; 37A–D; 38A–B; 39A; 40A–F; 41A–D; 42A–D; 43A–C; 44A–B; 45A–C; 46A–C; 47A–B; 48; 49A–D; 50A–B; 51A–G; 52A–F; 53–54A–C; 54D; 55; 56A–B; 57A–C; 59–60; 61–62.
General references (context & verification)
- Arturo Schwarz, The Complete Works of Marcel Duchamp (rev. & expanded ed.).
- Pierre Cabanne, Dialogues with Marcel Duchamp (1967) — quoted remarks on “mathematical, scientific perspective.”
- Calvin Tomkins, Duchamp: A Biography.
- Dawn Ades (ed.), Marcel Duchamp (Royal Academy; exhibitions).
- William A. Camfield, Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain: Its History and Aesthetics in the Context of 1917 (1989).
- Kirk Varnedoe & Adam Gopnik, High and Low: Modern Art and Popular Culture (MoMA, 1990).
- Dino A. Brugioni, Photo Fakery: The History and Techniques of Photographic Deception and Manipulation (1999).
- Thomas Girst, writings on Duchamp’s studio photographs and motifs (contextual notes).