A private and enigmatic man, Marcel Duchamp often seemed like a masterpiece of his own devising. Referencing unpublished sources and first-hand interviews, Alice Goldfarb Marquis presents this French artist in all his contradictions, taking an objective look at his contribution to modern art. Along with Duchamp's productive friendships with Man Ray, André Breton, and the Arensbergs, this biography chronicles the creation of Fountain, Nude Descending a Staircase, and the Large Glass. Looking past Duchamp's sly veneer, Marquis explores the passions and insecurities that motivated many of his artistic and personal evolutions.