“Apolinere Enamelled,” created by Marcel Duchamp in 1916, is a genre painting rendered in gouache, pencil, and ready-made materials. This artwork, which is celebrated under the Dada art movement, measures 33.9 by 25.5 cm and is housed in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
The artwork depicts a domestic interior scene with an emphasis on the advertising text at the top, “Apolinere Enamelled,” suggesting it is a promotional piece. A young girl is seen painting a white bed frame with colorful enamel paints. The backdrop features a well-furnished room with curtains, a drawer set adorned with various items, and a patterned carpet, indicating a sense of homeliness and everyday life. The overall composition, imbued with Duchamp’s characteristic wit and innovative use of ready-made elements, challenges traditional artistic conventions, embodying the spirit of the Dada movement.
