This work was conceived as the cover for the catalogue of a surrealist exhibition held in Paris in 1947. The exhibition, organised by André Breton and Duchamp, was to mark the return of Surrealism as a force in Europe after the war. Produced in an edition of 999 de-luxe copies, the cover of the book has a breast made of foam rubber. Duchamp originally tried to cast the left breast of the artist Maria Martins, but this proved too complicated. So, with characteristic ingenuity, Duchamp bought 999 false breasts and got his friend, the artist Enrico Donati, to help him glue them to the book-covers and hand-colour the nipples. The breast sits on a velvet backing, attached to the pink cover. The book features original prints by Tanguy, Tanning, Brauner, Ernst, Miró, Bellmer, Arp and others.
André Breton (French, 1896 - 1966)
André Breton was the founder and chief theorist of the surrealist movement. Through his study of medicine and work with the insane, he became interested in irrational imagery. After serving as a medical auxiliary during the First World War, he discovered the work of Sigmund Freud. The subjects of psychiatry, the illogical and the unconscious mind appealed greatly to the Surrealists. By 1924 Breton had become a prominent figure in the Parisian avant garde and had gathered around him a group of poets and artists interested in exploring the subconscious. The surrealist movement was launched that year with Breton's 'Manifesto of Surrealism'.
Marcel Duchamp (French / American, 1887 - 1968)
Duchamp was born in France, but lived for much of his adult life in America. In 1911 he was painting in a cubist style, but he virtually stopped painting after 1912. Duchamp was intrigued by the idea that ordinary, mass-produced things could be considered as art objects in their own right. He preferred simply to sign, and sometimes alter, household objects, terming them 'readymades'. On moving to America in 1915, Duchamp became a leading figure in the New York Dada group, along with Picabia and Man Ray. His questioning attitude towards definitions of authenticity, originality, artistry and authorship has been immensely influential.
![Prière de Toucher [Please Touch] (Cover of the Exhibition Catalogue 'Le Surréalism en 1947')](http://www.nationalgalleries.org/media/42/collection/GMA A33_3_DSL_019.jpg)
