Sidney Fiske Kimball's Courtship of Marcel Duchamp Built Philadelphia Museum of Art's Duchamp Holdings

The Philadelphia Museum of Art owes its status as home to the world's largest Marcel Duchamp collection to the courtship of the artist by Sidney Fiske Kimball, the museum's forward-looking director. Kimball gave Duchamp what he sought: space and control, in large quantities. The account was reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer and distributed via MSN. The arrangement allowed Duchamp to shape how his work would be displayed and preserved at the institution. The result is the most extensive Duchamp holdings anywhere, a distinction the Philadelphia Museum of Art retains. The story examines how a single director's willingness to cede authority over installation and presentation persuaded Duchamp to place his work in Philadelphia rather than elsewhere. No further details on dates, specific works, or later acquisitions were provided in the source material.