Genius. Anti-artist. Charlatan. Impostor! Since 1914 Marcel Duchamp has been called all of these. No artist of the 20th century has aroused more passion and controversy, nor exerted a greater influence on art, the very nature of which Duchamp challenged and redefined as concept rather than product by questioning its traditionally privileged optical nature. At the same time, he never ceased to be engaged, openly or secretly, in provocative activities and works that transformed traditional artmaking procedures. Written with the enthusiastic support of Duchamp's widow, this is one of the most original and important books ever written on this enigmatic artist, and challenges received ideas, misunderstanding and misinformation. With 172 illustrations in colour

This lecture was given by Neil Cox of the University of Essex, one of Britain's leading scholars of Cubism and Surrealism, and a particular authority on Picasso, approaching the Spaniard's work from intriguing angles. He concentrates on a single work, Picasso's "Head" of 1913, and in doing so demonstrates how scrupulous focus can open out challenging perspectives in the work of a great master. Established following the 125th anniversary of the foundation of the Chair of Fine Art at the University of Edinburgh and named after the painter Sir John Watson Gordon, the "Watson Gordon Lectures" typify the longstanding and positive collaboration between the University of Edinburgh and the National Galleries of Scotland: two partners in the Visual Arts Research Institute in Edinburgh.