# R. Mutt **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 29, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-mutt/204573 "2003-09-29T23:11:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![captainQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@captainQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/captainQwark)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-mutt/204573/1 "2003-09-29T23:11:26Z")
I recently read that the most shocking thing about that urinal Duchamp submitted to a contest was the inscription “R. Mutt” I’m sorry to sound ignorant, but was is so shocking about that inscription? Is it some kind of vulgar slang? ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-mutt/204573/2 "2003-09-29T23:59:15Z")
I’m not sure, but I was under the impression that he submitted the work under the name R. Mutt and didn’t tell anyone he did it (at least not right away). Was R. Mutt the name of the urinal manufacturer? I seem to remember this but I could be wrong ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-mutt/204573/3 "2003-09-30T00:16:20Z")
From [SFMOMA](http://www.sfmoma.org/collections/recent_acquisitions/ma_coll_duchamp.html): > [@](#): > > Duchamp acquired the lavatory urinal for the original Fountain directly from J. L. Mott Iron Works, a manufacturer of plumbing equipment. Before submitting the piece to the exhibition as sculpture, the artist rotated the urinal ninety degrees from its normal, functional position, and left the piece unimbellished except for the inscription “R. Mutt 1917” (a pseudonym that synthesised the name of the manufacturer and that of the popular comic strip “Mutt and Jeff”) I can’t find any obscene references to the Mutt name; however, when Duchamp painted a moustache over the Mona Lisa, he titled this work L.H.O.O.Q., which, when the letters are read out in French, sounds like “elle a chaud au cul,” or “she has a hot ass.” ---
**Author:** ![Ave\_Minerva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@Ave\_Minerva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ave_Minerva)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-mutt/204573/4 "2003-09-30T00:49:09Z")
And it can be seen in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, along with most of his other works such as the Large Glass. At the time, around 1913 I believe, people were shocked that an artist would sign a urinal and call it art. Duchamp called those pieces “ready mades”. I think signing it “R Mutt” was just his way of messing with people’s minds a little bit more. ---
**Author:** ![captainQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@captainQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/captainQwark)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-mutt/204573/5 "2003-09-30T03:58:11Z")
thanks for y’all’s replies. I’m an art 'tard ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-mutt/204573/6 "2003-09-30T13:42:33Z")
Like many of Duchamp’s readymades, the “original” _Fountain_ no longer exists. Duchamp made many replicas of them, which is what you’ll see in most museums (there are a few original pieces, like the Large Glass–but most Duchamps are actually replicas made by Duchamp, which raises all kinds of questions about art objects and museum displays). I’ve never thought the “R. Mutt” signature was particularly offensive, just kind of messing with people’s minds as **Ave Minerva** points out. I think the title “Fountain” is more offensive, when you consider the context of a urinal–but only if you have no sense of (absurd) humor.