Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), the painter, sculptor, and author, was associated with Cubism, Dadaism and Surrealism, though he avoided any alliances. Duchamp’s work is characterized by humor, a wide variety of media, and its incessant probing of the boundaries of art. His legacy includes the insight that art can be about ideas instead of objects, a revolutionary notion that would resonate with later generations of artists.