Hat Rack

Duchamp mounted this work on the ceiling of his New York studio on West 67th Street, to challenge the principle that works of art should be hung on a wall. The artist was also fascinated with the effect of shadows that the wooden structure cast, thus adding a dimension to the sculpture. The original hat rack was lost, but Duchamp later authorized the production of multiples of this work and other readymades, of which the National Gallery of Canada owns thirteen examples.