Pharmacy

Marcel Duchamp's "Pharmacy" is a 1914 artwork that exemplifies his concept of the "ready-made." This piece is a commercial print of a winter landscape to which Duchamp added two small figures, reminiscent of pharmacists' bottles.1

Duchamp coined the term "ready-made" to describe everyday objects he selected and designated as art. His intention was to challenge the traditional notions of art uniqueness and the emphasis on the artist's material skill. Instead, he proposed that art could be an intellectual process. "Pharmacy" and other ready-mades, like "Fountain" and "Bicycle Wheel," were influential in movements such as Dada, Pop art, and conceptual art. Duchamp's work questioned the very definition of art and its role in society.21