July 12, 2026
Description
This model is one of the collection Prêt à Faire: Printable Readymade Models
If you'd like a version of this model that is optimized and fully prepared for full-scale printing, visit my Club at
The infamous Fountain by Marcel Duchamp, signed by him under the pseudonym R. Mutt in 1917. According to some art historical accounts, this has been deemed the most important work of art produced in the 20th century. The scandal created by this lost artwork, as well as the various editions produced in the decades afterward, is the stuff of legend.
Find out more about this scandal:
The original work can only be seen in a famous photograph by Alfred Stieglitz, although we can see other editions in various odd exhibition situations. In addition to these sources, to assist the modeling effort I used source material found at:
Fountain by R. Mutt, 1917, | Duchamp’s studio at | Marcel Duchamp, Fountain, |
Wanting to print this, I searched for 3D models online but was completely dissatisfied with the ones I found. So I made this one, basing it primarily on the Milan edition copies produced in the 1960s (a decision which eventually led me down the rabbit hole of modeling the entire Readymade collection!). In the catalog Duchamp Fountain by William A. Camfield, written for an exhibition in the 1980s, I found a set of the original working drawings approved by Duchamp for this edition. Interestingly, images of the edition seemed to follow these approved drawings quite loosely, so I combined this source with observation of the 1964 edition at the Pompidou Center, which carefully documents the work from all sides via photography.
Various historical editions include:
Philadelphia, | Stockholm, | 1964 edition, found in locations worldwide |
Fountain has been famously appropriated or commented upon by legions of artists. Just a few of these artists who have incorporated it into their practice include:
Sherrie Levine, Fountain (Buddha), 1996 | Mike Bidlo, Fractured Fountain (Not Duchamp Fountain 1917), 2015 | Ray Beldner, Peelavie, 2003 |
The model differs from the 1964 edition ONLY where necessary to optimize for FDM printing, assembly, and durability:
There are variations on the model to allow printing at a range of scales, from 3 inches long to 75% of original size. Be mindful of the version appropriate to your desired scale.
Larger scales require a large-format printer such as a Prusa XL.
An amazing version optimized for full-scale printing by serious makers is available at this link.
There are two resolutions for the model to print, and a version specifically modeled for tiny scales. They are modeled at full size and must be scaled in the slicer. I also have a copy of the R. Mutt signature, which can be merged with the urinal to create a multi-color print. There is a 3MF file with the signature merged to the urinal for easy multi-material printing setup.
Recommended materials:
Polymaker Panchroma Silk White PLA has a nice sheen that evokes porcelain
Polymaker Panchroma Silk Black PLA for the signature
My settings:
Print Settings: 0.20mm Structural
Filament: Prusament PLA
Printer: Prusa XL (for a 75% scale model)
Supports: Everywhere
Infill: 10% (for a 75% scale model), which helps with opacity
Brim: None
Advanced settings:
Layers and perimeters: Extra perimeters on
Infill: Gyroid fill pattern, Aligned Rectangular top and bottom fill pattern
Support material: Organic style, use paint-on supports to control
Stats for a 75% size print:
Total material used: ~845 grams white, ~15 grams black
Total time: ~1 day, 10 hours
As true for any massive work, this is a risky print for the Prusa XL. The usual safeguards apply: dry your filament like you mean it, clean and degrease the build plate, and control the environment.
Stats for a 50-ish% size print (48.6% is the largest that can fit on an MK3/4):
Total material used: ~326 grams white, ~10 grams black
Total time: ~14 hours
This is a less risky (but scale-wise, perhaps less satisfying!) print; however, it still needs care.
No assembly is required for this print.
Place the finished model on a table or pedestal at a comfortable viewing height.
12 JUL 2026: Added a link to the optimized full-scale Club version, and revised some text formatting.
21 DEC 2025: Added images of a 75% scale print, set as cover.
9 DEC 2025: Included images of nominal 50% scale print and a 3MF file with 50% and 75% pre-formatted for your convenience.
3 DEC 2025: Rewrote the description for clarity and consistent formatting across the Prêt à Faire collection.
9 NOV 2025: I added a file for placing the signature letters in relief for multi-color printing. Since this can be tricky in the slicer, I've also included a 3MF file including letters merged with the body of the urinal. This merge also contains a manipulated cylinder to smooth out a rough patch that emerges when printing at large scale (here, 75% size of original). Though this file is set for the XL, it can be scaled and manipulated for a smaller multi-material printer.
31 JUL 2025: Duchamp obviously “created” a full-size sculpture out of a urinal, but in his work Box in a Valise in the late 1930s he included a tiny version of Fountain, about 3.5 inches tall. I decided to print one at that size. Unlike the larger tests I ran, which were good quality, I noticed the wall thickness became so thin for this size that I got a lot of surface warping, especially near the “top” as you can see here:
So back to the drawing board. I created a special thicker-walled version for small prints:
So if you want to print small, find the “small-print” version of the file!
License:
Creative Commons — Attribution — Noncommercial — Share Alike
williamCromar
