Marcel Duchamp’S “The Bride Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors, Even”

Marcel Duchamp was an innovative groundbreaking artist who during his lifetime continually pushed the boundaries of the current art scene. Due to his pioneering in art, he had a definitive influence upon artistic styles to come. Duchamp is typically grouped in to the Dadaist or Surrealist movements, however his involvement in the art world is worth more than just being placed into a category. In particular, his work “The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even” or “The Large Glass” shows just how much he can test the limits of art during his time.

Duchamp was receiving much notoriety, both good and bad after painting “Nude Descending a Staircase”. At this time, World War I was making Paris a rather uncomfortable home for him, so he decided it better to leave for New York. There, he met Man Ray, who inspired him and engaged him in the New York Dada scene. He began reading Max Stirner’s “The Ego and Its Own”. Duchamp regarded this book extremely highly and it clearly had a remarkable influence upon his style. He also became interested in Raymond Roussel’s novel “Impressions d’Afrique” which depicts strange plots, word play, surrealistic settings and characters, and odd machines.

These new influences on his life had made Duchamp become frustrated with the art at the time. On a trip he went on with a few friends, he saw various mechanical objects and felt that they were so much more pleasing than art at the time. He began to drift away from optically pleasing art and focused purely on intellectually stimulating art.

Duchamp decided to avoid art for a little while, and got a job as a librarian. He used this as “a sort of excuse for not being obliged to show up socially” (Marcel Duchamp. Moure, Rizzoli. 1988). This enabled him to remove himself from society and remain within his own realm. He was intrigued with various theoretical writings, such as those by Henri Poincare. The culmination of his interests in physics and the surreal combined with his dislike of the current art scene would soon lead to his greatest undertaking.

Duchamp made many studies and notations about how he wished “The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even” to be executed. These notes, various studies, and a few objects were later placed on display entitled “The Green Box”. Duchamp’s writings describe The Large Glass as a hilarious depiction that shoes an erratic encounter with The Bride and her nine bachelors among a strange mechanical apparatus. His notes do not offer much explanation however. They describe objects that are not in the final piece, as though they were there. The sections of notes that do seem to apply to objects in the final piece are so littered with word play and jokes that it is difficult to make anything out. It seems clear that Duchamp is more interested in allowing viewers to work out a meaning than for him to simply give it away.

“The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even” is divided into two sections. The top half, referred to as The Bride’s Domain, and the bottom half, referred to as The Bachelor’s Apparatus. At first glance, it appears as though both panels are just a mix of incomprehensible brown shapes. Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that both panels are quite different. The upper panel, “The Bride’s Domain”, is mostly cold monochromatic shapes with dark shadows cast across them. The Bride herself is composed of various somewhat perplexing elements including a steam shovel-like device, a funnel, and few other strange projections. Because of all these at first unrecognizable grey- brown shapes, the three white rectilinear shapes suspended in what appears to be a cloud, stand out.

The Bachelor’s Apparatus appears to be slightly warmer in contrast to The Bride’s panel. The Bachelors themselves are headless, armless dressmakers models. They are tied to a series of cones by a web of thin lines. The cylinders range in tonal value and opacity, going from nearly opaque to nearly transparent. Below them is a chocolate grinder, which is connected to a pair of rods forming an X shape. The chocolate grinder is a very interesting element due to its interesting texture and shape. The rods exiting the chocolate grinder are attached to another contraption. This apparatus appears to be based upon a waterwheel and is attached to a set of circular feet.

Across both panels are many large cracks. They add an interesting chaotic element to the piece. It’s hard to imagine that they were the result of an accident when the piece was moving because they look so deliberate and really strengthen the piece. It is also likely that Duchamp enjoyed the concept that something completely accidental enhanced his deliberate action. The accidental cracks add an even more intriguing element to an already intriguing piece.

Upon viewing The Large Glass, one of the other most interesting elements is the variety of materials it is made from. Instead of paints on canvas or sculpture, it is a little of both but yet neither. It consists of two large sheets of glass suspended vertically. The glass is riddled with cracks and shatters, but is intact due to its metal frame. The figures themselves are constructed using very interesting means. They are all painted with earth toned paints or other elements and then lined with lead wire. On some of them, the dust from his New York studio can be seen embedded in the paints, creating a rather interesting texture. Each element appears to be made with a slightly different technique that captivates the viewer and adds many appealing features.

Another appealing feature about the painting has to do with the space it is hung in. It is set in a room in front of a large window. Because of this, the background never looks the same. This is surely another concept that Duchamp enjoyed; the chaotic randomness of the world behind the glass. The lighting in the room changes the contrast and illumination of the piece as well. His other works that hang in the same room add to the backgroundless background.

It is impossible to pinpoint an exact meaning for The Large Glass, but then again, Duchamp most likely intended that. Based on the elements however, many view the piece to be an exploration into male and female interactions and desires. Andrew Stafford offers various explanations on one of his websites; understandingduchamp.com. He states that “The Large Glass is a picture of unseen