In Advance of the Broken Arm

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Artist Marcel Duchamp (French, 1887–1968)

Title In Advance of the Broken Arm (In prévision du bras cassé)

Date 1964 edition (after 1915 original)

Medium Wood and aluminum snow shovel

Dimensions Overall: 47 3/4 x 13 7/8 x 3 1/2 in. (121.3 x 35.2 x 8.9 cm)

Credit Line Partial gift of Mrs. William H. Conroy, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 71.37.4

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About this Work

In 1915, Duchamp purchased a snow shovel, signed it, and hung it from his studio ceiling. The unusual presentation undermines the object’s traditional function, while the humorous title he selected for the readymade alludes to the physical effort involved in shoveling snow.

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"In Advance of the Broken Arm | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=71.37.4