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Brief chronology of 210 West 14th Street, with the bas relief over the entry.
In 1923 the New York Times reports the sale of 210 West 14th Street, "the five-story studio building, to a client for
occupancy." The client was probably Pompeo Coppini (1870-1957), a noted Italian sculptor who had lived for several years
in San Antonio, Texas. Coppini received numerous artistic commissions in that state, where the Alamo cenotaph is perhaps his
best known work among about 44 public monuments throughout the U.S., Italy and Mexico. A prominent art school in San Antonio
bears his name.
By 1927 Coppini was affluent enough to purchase a residential property in Pelham Manor. But he was still associated with
the studio at 210 West 14th Street the following year when the Texas Club of New York exhibited a statue of Columbia there.
The figure was to be the center of a $250,000 Civil War memorial for the University of Texas in Austin, bequeathed by former
Texas Ranger Major George W. Littlefield. In 1930 Coppini unveiled his bust of W.J.L. Bamham, President of the New York Board
of Trade, at the 14th Street studio.
However the building acquired its most celebrated artist resident in 1943. Marcel Duchamp returns to U.S. that year, and
moved into 210 West 14th Street, fourth floor. Upon his marriage to Alexina (Teeny) Sattler in 1954, Duchamp moved to 327
East 58th Street, top floor, but retained 210 West 14th Street as his studio for some considerable time afterward. An online
essay from the Philadelphia Museum of Art website notes that in 1946 Duchamp secretively began and accomplished the majority
of his last major work, "Etant donnés: 1º la chute d'eau, 2º le gaz d'éclairage," while at this address.
In 1940 the Chaloner scholarship prize valued at $5400 was awarded to sculptor Eleanor Platt of 210 West 14th Street.
In 1956 Coppini sold the studio-apartment building, along with the adjoining five-story store and apartment building at
212 West 14th Street.
It's unclear if the bas relief above the building's entry is by Coppini, or if the artist was involved with the building's
design. But the representation in the relief of a man sketching would indicate that the building was built with artists in
mind.
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