Even for those without a formal artistic background, the world of traditional art is a realm held in high regard by almost everyone. This elevation of art and artists is ingrained in our culture, evident even in our language, with common phrases such as "a work of art" or "masterpiece" used to express the utmost skill and admiration. However, when asked to define art, most don't know where to begin, except perhaps to describe feelings of admiration for the artist's skill. However, admiration is a subjective matter, so it clearly does not constitute a solid foundation for such a definition. To truly explore the definition of art, an appropriate example would be to examine the work of French artist Marcel Duchamp and his famous "readymades." By placing these ordinary objects of life under the spotlight of a gallery, Duchamp broke the traditional process of art production that had existed for centuries, and subsequently triggered reflection on what constitutes art. These famous readymades are ordinary manufactured objects that Duchamp selected and barely modified, in contrast to what he called “retinal art” – purely visual art. The creation of these pieces involved a minimal level of interaction between the artist and the artwork, thus forming the most extreme form of minimalism up to that time (1915). The term "readymade" was coined for these pieces, as it was a term commonly used in the United States at the time to distinguish manufactured products from those made by hand, a guarantee that the results of industrial life would be a fruitful resource in the works of art. . However, Duchamp's proposals of his readymades as art to art juries and the public were largely rejected by jurors or went unnoticed at art exhibitions. This was above all the... center of the paper... communication as culture: Essays on Media and Society, New York: Routledge, 2009. Carrick, Jill, Nouveau Realisme, 1960s France, and the Neo-avant-garde, Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate, 2010. Elkins, James, Exploring Famous Unfinished Paintings in Google Art Project, Huffington Post, 2011. EH, Gombrich, The Story of Art, Pocket Edition, London: Phaidon Press, 2006. Govan, Michael Dan Flavin : A Retrospective, Washington: Yale University Press, 2004. Khasnis, Giridhar, Artist as Prankster, Deccan Herald, 2014. Jones, Jonathan, Reinventing the Wheel, The Guardian, 2008. Lopera, Jose Alvarez, El Greco: Identity and Transformation, Milan: Skira, 1999.Mastenbroek, Mark, Rembrandt van Rijn 1606-1669, Museum Suites, 2014Tomkins, Calvin: Duchamp: A Biography. Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1996. Weiss, Jeffrey, ed., Dan Flavin: New Light, Washington: Yale University Press, 2006.