Marcel Duchamp: L.H.O.O.Q (1919):
Marcel Duchamp creates this work of art by drawing a mustache and goatee on a copy of the Mona Lisa. He also adds the letters L H O O and Q to the bottom of this copy. The letters on the bottom of this piece suggest that the Mona Lisa is “Hot in the arse.” This mocks, and makes sexual one of the most important works of art in history. Duchamp does this to mock the idea of “High art.” Many of the Dada artists, including Marcel Duchamp rejected the idea of high art. Duchamp didn’t like the idea that not all art is considered high art. High art is considered elevated and more beautiful and profound than the art that the artists in the Dada movement created. Duchamp looked to challenge the idea of what high art is. He believed that the art he created, no matter what it is should be high art. Many artists of the Dada movement used basic, or simplistic everyday objects to convey profound social and political messages. These artists looked to elevate their art form using basic materials to transcend their art into a high art form. By mocking the Mona Lisa, Duchamp shows the audience that the art that he and other Dada artists create are just as important as these classical pieces such as the Mona Lisa.