Here’s a story we heard from the guard
standing by Marcel Duchamp’s The large glass in the Philadelphia Museum. When
the collection of Duchamp’s work owned by Louise and Walter
Arensberg was donated to the Museum, Duchamp designed the first installation
himself (and some of the key works are still where he placed them). During this
process Duchamp learnt that outside one of the blank walls in his gallery was a
large courtyard and fountain. He asked for a window to be cut into the stone
wall and to Duchamp’s delight the gushing water of the fountain outside was
reflected in The large glass. Typically though, despite most of his key works
being included in the gallery, there was no sign of his readymade sculpture Fountain.
Images: Top, Duchamp’s The large glass with our
guard behind it. Bottom, the ‘Duchamp’ window and the view of the fountain
beyond.
