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1 moment on Art Journal
Created in 1919, Duchamp altered a reproduction of the Mona Lisa, turning it into a provocative Dada statement about authorship and originality.
How to reflect if you encounter this artwork?
- Notice how Duchamp's addition of a mustache and goatee transforms the familiar Mona Lisa into a playful, irreverent image that challenges traditional reverence for the original.
- Consider what it means to alter an iconic artwork and display it as a new piece—how does this affect your ideas about creativity and authorship?
- Reflect on the medium as a modified reproduction rather than an original painting, and how this choice impacts the work’s message and your engagement with it.
- Think about the mood created by this parody: does it evoke humor, critique, or discomfort in relation to the original Mona Lisa’s mysterious aura?
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