Università Roma Tre

The Century of Picasso and Duchamp

This course explores the 20th century through the works and ideas of two key figures: Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp. Both artists revolutionized Western artistic tradition, though by following conceptually divergent paths. Picasso continuously reinvented traditional visual language, integrating a wide range of historical and cultural influences, while Duchamp subverted artistic conventions, introducing concepts such as the ready-made, which redefined the nature and function of the artwork.

The course provides tools for an in-depth understanding of the major works of Picasso and Duchamp, highlighting the contrasts and affinities between the two. It will analyze the historical and cultural contexts in which they operated, as well as how their works responded to the major events of the 20th century, from the world wars to the rise of the avant-gardes. The course will also examine the legacy of these two artists, particularly Duchamp's influence on conceptual and postmodern art, and Picasso's impact from Cubism to political art, demonstrating how their ideas continue to shape contemporary artistic discourse.

Essays and books

• T.J. Clark, Picasso and Truth, Princeton University Press, 2013 (PDF)
• Leo Steinberg, The Philosophical Brothel; In the Algerian Room, in Id. Picasso, Chicago University Press 2022 (PDF)
• Marcel Duchamp. Critica, biografia, mito, a cura di Stefano Chiodi, Electa, Milano 2009 (PDF)

Additional texts will be indicated in the course of the lectures.