Robert Mapplethorpe was born on November 4, 1946, in Floral Park, New York. He left home in 1962 and enrolled at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, in 1963, where he studied painting and sculpture and received his BFA in 1970. During this time, he met artist, poet, and musician Patti Smith. She encouraged his work and posed for numerous portraits when they lived together in Brooklyn and in the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan, a gathering place for artists, writers, and musicians in the early 1970s.
It was not Mapplethorpe’s original intention to be a photographer, and from 1970 to 1974, he mainly made assemblage constructions that incorporate images of men from pornographic magazines with found objects and painting. In order to create his own images for these collages, Mapplethorpe turned to photography, initially using a Polaroid SX-70 camera. Interested in portraiture, Mapplethorpe worked as a staff photographer for Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine. He also produced album covers for Smith and the group Television, and at the same time photographed socialites and celebrities such as John Paul Getty III and Carolina Herrera.
Mapplethorpe had his first substantial shows in 1977, both in New York: an exhibition of photographs of flowers at the Holly Solomon Gallery and one of male nudes and sadomasochistic imagery at the Kitchen. Mapplethorpe’s diverse work — homoerotic images, floral still lifes, pictures of children, commissioned portraits, mixed-media sculpture — is united by the constancy of his approach and technique. The surfaces of his prints offer a seemingly endless gradation of blacks and whites, shadow and light, and regardless of subject, his images are both elegant and provocative. In the mid-to-late 1980s, returning to the sculptural use of photography seen in his early assemblages, Mapplethorpe created sensual diptychs and triptychs of photographs printed on fabric and luxurious cloth panels.
In 1988, four major exhibitions of Mapplethorpe’s work were organized: by the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; and the National Portrait Gallery, London. Mapplethorpe died due to complications from AIDS on March 9, 1989, in Boston.
Find original Robert Mapplethorpe photography on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by Cerbera Gallery)
Robert Mapplethorpe Calla Lilly collector's plate
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in New York, NY
Robert Mapplethorpe (American, 1946-1989) Calla Lilly, plate produced by Swid Powell in 1989, original image captured 1984 Porcelain with overglaze transfer-printed decoration 12 in....
Porcelain
Poppy and Calla Lily Plate, Porcelain by Robert Mapplethorpe
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Long Island City, NY
Poppy and Calla Lily Plate by Robert Mapplethorpe, 1946 - 1989 Date: 2000 Medium: Pair of Porcelain Plates in Original Box Edition: 500 Size: 8.25 x 8.25 in. (20.96 x 20.96 cm)
Porcelain
Robert Mapplethorpe - Atlantic House, Provincetown - Entre Nous - Chains poster
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in New York, NY
Collectors' item! Robert Mapplethorpe Rare (Historic) Atlantic House, Provincetown - Entre Nous - Chains poster, 1991 Offset lithograph poster 17 × 11 inches Unframed, unsigned and u...
Lithograph, Offset
Robert Mapplethorpe. Early Works 1970-1974
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT First edition coffee table book of Robert Mapplethorpe's early photographs taken between 1970 and 1974. The photographs are finely reproduced. One of the scarcer titles on Map...
Paper
Mapplethorpe "Cock & Devil" Gelatin Silver Print 1982 Satyr & Phallus Photograph
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
"Cock and Devil" is a photograph by Robert Mapplethorpe, created and printed in 1982. The work is a gelatin silver print, known for its stark contrast and meticulous composition, whi...
Silver Gelatin
Robert Mapplethorpe Orchid Plate for Swid Powell, Porcelain, 1987
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Downingtown, PA
Modern Monochromatic: Robert Mapplethorpe’s ‘Orchid’ for Swid Powell 1987 This sophisticated and collectible porcelain plate was designed by...
Porcelain
Robert Mapplethorpe: Perfection in Form Fine Art Photography Exhibition Book
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Robert Mapplethorpe: Perfection in Form — 2009 Fine Art Photography Exhibition Book 1st Edition. A beautifully illustrated exhibition catalogue celebrating the extraordinary photogr...
Paper
William S. Burroughs (Iconic, Stamped, Naked Lunch, Beat Generation)
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Kansas City, MO
Robert Mapplethorpe William S. Burroughs Photograph insert from Radar No. 1 (1982) Year: 1982 Sheet Size: 9.8 × 7.8 inches (24.9 × 19.8 cm) Framed Size: 17 x 13 x 1.25 inches (43.2 ×...
Photographic Paper
Untitled
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Mapplethorpe's (1946-1989) place in the canon was earned from his incredible output of images that ranged from beautiful to brutal. Though known for his unrivalled output in...
Found Objects, Pencil, Color Pencil
Silver Dollar
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Greenwich, CT
Silver Dollar is a silver gelatin print on paper by Robert Mapplethorpe, titled, numbered, and dated verso. The print is signed and dated again on the back within his signature stamp...
Paper, Silver Gelatin
Silver Dollar (Color), Signed Dye Transfer Print, Photorealist, 1988, AP Edition
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Aventura, FL
Dye-transfer print, flush-mounted. The photographer's copyright stamp, signed and dated in ink, and with title, date, and edition 'A. P. #D' in ink on the reverse. Frame size 30 x 33...
Dye Transfer
Robert Mapplethorpe for Swid Powell Porcelain Plate, Calla Lily, 1984
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Downingtown, PA
A striking porcelain plate reproducing Robert Mapplethorpe's photograph Flower (1986), made for the vanguard New York design firm Swid Powell. An upright lily rises against a ground ...
Porcelain
Bill T. Jones
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Robert Mapplethorpe, American (1946 - 1989) Title: Bill T. Jones Year: 1985 Medium: Gelatin Silver Print Photograph, signed, titled and stamped verso Image Size: 18.5 x 1...
Silver Gelatin
Poppy & Orchid
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in New York, NY
Created by Limoges, France, from two original photographs taken by photographer, Robert Mapplethorpe in 1988/89, Poppy & Orchard are a stunning pair of porcelain chargers, each with ...
Porcelain
Robert Mapplethorpe Flower Porcelain Plate, Swid Powell, New York, 1980s
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Downingtown, PA
Robert Mapplethorpe Swid Powell Porcelain Plate, Flower 1986, Photography Image dated 1986; produced circa 1987–90 Robert Mapplethorpe’s flowers on porcelain: this twelve-inch plat...
Porcelain
Lisa Lyon
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Mapplethorpe's (1946-1989) place in the canon was earned from his incredible output of images that ranged from beautiful to brutal. Mapplethorpe boldly showcased the beauty ...
Silver Gelatin
Calla Lily porcelain plate
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in New York, NY
This porcelain plate features Robert Mapplethorpe's iconic 1984 image "Calla Lily." Designed in 1988 by Swid Powell, the renowned tableware company, this plate was a joint collaborative effort, resulting in a 12 inch plate...
Porcelain
$1,800 / set
H 0.5 in Dm 7.75 in
Set of 21 Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman's 'Tuxedo' for Swid Powell Various Porcelain
By Swid Powell, Gwathmey Siegel & Assoc
Located in Southampton, NY
Set of 21 Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman's design 'Tuxedo' for Swid Powell - Various Porcelain pieces 3 Salad plates 7.75" diameter 3 Dinn...
Porcelain
Horses Porcelain Dinner Plate by Vito Nesta for Les-Ottomans
By Vito Nesta
Located in ROCCAVIVARA CB, IT
Contemporary dinner plate 'Horses' designed by Vito Nesta for Les-Ottomans, a magical trip in an Ottoman world made of exotic animals and ch...
Porcelain
$1,600
H 9.25 in W 7.63 in D 0.07 in
Orpheus #1 - Gelatin Silver Photograph Balanchine Ballet Classical Male Nudes
By George Platt Lynes
Located in Glenford, NY
George Platt Lynes 1948 Photograph #1 of Balanchine Ballet ‘Orpheus’. George Platt Lynes rare original vintage 1948 gelatin silver photograph (dated by the NY City Public Library) of nude dancers Francisco Moncion and Nicholas Magallanes in George Balanchine's iconic mid-20th Century ballet 'Orpheus'. Stamped on verso in dark blue ink at upper center, "GEORGE PLATT LYNES/145 EAST 52 STREET NEW YORK”. Photo shoot took place in NYC. Costumes and Set by ISAMU NAGUCHI. Photo is 7 5/8 x 9 1/4 inches, soft satin finish in excellent condition. This photograph is from Francisco Moncion's original collection given to him by George Platt Lyons. It is one of 14 different poses in the 'Orpheus' series. 8 different photographs are remaining for sale and are available on request. All are original Platt Lyons gelatin silver prints original to Moncion's collection and are stamped by the photographer. Photographs from this celebrated series are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC), Museum of Modern Art (MOMA, NYC), the NYC Public Library, and many university art archives. George Platt Lynes (1907–1955), was a gregarious American portrait, dance, fashion, and male nude photographer whose career spanned the late 1920s through the early 1950s. From age eighteen, Lynes entered the cosmopolitan world of the American expatriate community in Paris when he became acquainted with the salon of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. He began photographing authors like Stein, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Colette and soon established himself as one of the premier fashion photographers in the Condé Nast stable, documenting the ballet companies of George Balanchine/Lincoln Kirstein, and pursuing a private obsession with seductive images of young male nudes rarely published in his lifetime. Orpheus represents a major 20th Century artistic collaboration between composer Igor Stravinsky, choreographer George Ballanchine, and artist/designer Isamu Naguchi. Orpheus is a thirty-minute neoclassical ballet composed by Igor Stravinsky in collaboration with choreographer George Balanchine in Hollywood, California in 1947. The work was commissioned by Ballet Society, later renamed New York City Ballet, which Balanchine founded with Lincoln Kirstein. Sets and costumes were created by Isamu Noguchi. Noguchi’s lyre harp from the production became the symbol of the New York City Ballet. Francisco Moncion (July 6, 1918 – April 1, 1995) was a charter member of the New York City Ballet. Over the course of his forty year career, choreographers George Balanchine, and Jerome Robbins in the New York City Ballet created 22 major roles for Moncion including the Dark Angel...
Silver Gelatin
Guards Porcelain Dinner Plate by Vito Nesta for Les-Ottomans
By Vito Nesta
Located in ROCCAVIVARA CB, IT
Contemporary dinner plate 'Guards' designed by Vito Nesta for Les-Ottomans, a magical trip in an Ottoman world made of exotic animals and ch...
Porcelain
Elephants Porcelain Plate by Vito Nesta for Les-Ottomans
By Vito Nesta
Located in ROCCAVIVARA CB, IT
Contemporary dinner plate 'Elephants' designed by Vito Nesta for Les-Ottomans, a magical trip in an ottoman world made of exotic animals and...
Porcelain
Piero Fornasetti Calendar Porcelain Plate for the Year 1992
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Brussels, BE
Piero Fornasetti calendar porcelain plate for the Year 1992.
Porcelain
Sothebys Catalogue European Works of Art
By Sotheby's
Located in Mexico City, MX
Auction catalog with outstanding works of Important European Works of Art, Arms and Armour, Furniture and Tapestries. Ideal for collectors, galleries ...
Paper
$2,450
H 28 in W 21 in D 0.3 in
Original Michael Jackson, Time Magazine, Andy Warhol authentic poster linen
By Andy Warhol
Located in Spokane, WA
Original Andy Warhol vintage poster with Michael Jackson for Time Magazine March 1984. This vintage poster created by Andy Warhol was the image used for the cover of Time Magazine ...
Offset
Sothebys Catalogue Fabergé, Russian Works of Art
By Sotheby's
Located in Mexico City, MX
Auction catalog with outstanding works of Fabergé, Russian Works of Art, Objects of Vertu and Silver. Ideal for collectors, galleries and art lovers. Illustrated editions, reference ...
Paper
$7,500
H 19 in W 31 in D 4 in
Wall 24-1- White porcelain abstract geometric organic style mural sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Artists Statement: My interest is in exploring ways of building structural forms in ceramics. Many ideas for the forms come from architecture while the inherent organic quality of th...
Porcelain
$650
H 10 in W 8 in D 0.07 in
BRUCE BELLAS 1960s VINTAGE MALE NUDE PHOTOGRAPH OF HUGH PENDLETON & KIM FOX
By Bruce Bellas / Bruce of Los Angeles
Located in Glenford, NY
Bruce Bellas, Bruce of Los Angeles, 2 photographs of models Hugh Pendleton and Kim Fox from an iconic Bellas photo shoot outside of Palm Springs mid-1960s. Price is for the pair of p...
Silver Gelatin
she
By Sigurd Rosenhain
Located in Cologne, DE
Beautiful vintage nude photo created by the East German Photographer Sigurd Rosenhain, who lived and worked in Leipzig.
Silver Gelatin
Sold
H 9.8 in W 7.8 in
William S. Burroughs (Iconic, Stamped, Naked Lunch, Beat Generation, 30% OFF)
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Kansas City, MO
Robert Mapplethorpe William S. Burroughs Photograph insert from Radar No. 1 (1982) Year: 1982 Sheet Size: 9.8 × 7.8 inches (24.9 × 19.8 cm) Framed Size: 17 x 13 x 1.25 inches (43.2 ×...
Photographic Paper
Orchid
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Mapplethorpe's (1946-1989) place in the canon was earned from his incredible output of images that ranged from beautiful to brutal. Mapplethorpe boldly showcased the beauty ...
Paper, Silver Gelatin
William S. Burroughs (Stamped)
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Kansas City, MO
Robert Mapplethorpe William S. Burroughs Photograph insert from Radar No. 1 (1982) Year: 1982 Size: 9.8 × 7.8 inches Stamped verso, unsigned Accompanied by Radar, Basel, Edition C.L...
Photographic Paper
Self Portrait #4
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in New York, NY
Self Portrait #4 c. 1970 Polaroid (Unique) 4.19 x 3.25 inches Contact gallery for price. Related literature: Sylvia Wolf, Polaroids Mapplethorpe (Munich: Prestel, 2008), p. 94, p...
Polaroid
Sold
H 4.125 in W 3.25 in
Self Portrait #1, Nude Self Portrait by Robert Mapplethorpe c. 1970
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in New York, NY
Self Portrait #1, Nude Self Portrait by Robert Mapplethorpe c. 1970 c. 1970 Polaroid (Unique) 4.125 x 3.25 inches Contact gallery for price.
Polaroid
Sold
H 13.5 in W 13.5 in
Mapplethorpe Z Portfolio, Dan S 1980 Male Nude Unique Gelatin Silver Print Photo
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
"Dan S" is a well-known photograph by Robert Mapplethorpe, created in 1980 and part of the Z Portfolio. It is part of his body of work that explores themes of identity, sexuality, an...
Silver Gelatin
William S Burroughs, by Robert Mapplethorpe
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Dubai, Dubai
Gelatin silver print 9 3/4 x 7 7/8 in 24.9 x 20.1 cm Printed by Radar Publikationen and Edition K.L.A.G. credit stamps verso. Photographers credit stamp verso. Print pulled from por...
Photographic Paper
Swid Powell Robert Mapplethorpe "Flower" 1986 Floral Black & White Plate
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Toledo, OH
Black and white porcelain collectors plate Swid Powell Robert Mapplethorpe "Flower" 1986. White circular plate with sloping sides. Photographic image of a calla lily. 12" in diameter.
Porcelain
Moet Blade
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Mapplethorpe (1946 - 1989) helped elevate photography to be considered fine art in the 1970s thanks to his uncompromising images rich in contrast, from beautiful to brutal and elegant to uninhibited. Mapplethorpe’s career was as glittering as it was controversial. Feted and vilified in equal measure, he ran a successful commercial studio (for portraiture and fashion photography) while simultaneously producing some of the most contentious (and beautiful!) images of the 20th century. His depictions of gay sexuality (including S&M and bondage) provoked a fierce backlash both at the time of their creation and well into the 1990s and beyond. This unique polaroid dates from when Mapplethorpe began to focus on pure photography, abandoning the collages of the first chapter of his career. It is also a foreshadowing of his curiosity and pursuit of New York's S&M scene. This unique polaroid features an opened bottle of Moët-Chandon with a sharp blade emerging from the neck. Typical of Mapplethorpe, there is his signature balance of formalist qualities, foreboding references, with a touch of sexuality and violence. Mapplethorpe's style is instantly recognizable: simple forms set against neutral backgrounds, a razor-sharp focus, and opulent, tonal gradations ranging from inky, velvety black to luminous silver-white. Although this is a unique polaroid, its sibling is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. We believe that our example is superior to the two; the label is mostly concealed which intensifies the shapes and composition. Robert Mapplethorpe mounted over fifty solo exhibitions during his lifetime, including numerous museum shows in the USA, Europe, and Japan. Since his death, his work has continued to be exhibited and acquired by major international art institutions. Questions about this artwork? Contact us. "Untitled" (Moet Blade) USA, 1972 Unique polaroid. Annotated 'PD 708' in pencil in an unknown hand on the verso. Original stamp from Mertens Framers. 4.5”H 3.4”W (image) 15"H 8"W (framed) Very good condition. Detailed condition report by request Provenance: Xavier Hufkens...
Polaroid
Sold
H 9.8 in W 7.8 in
William S. Burroughs (~38% OFF LIST PRICE, LIMITED TIME)
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Kansas City, MO
Robert Mapplethorpe William S. Burroughs Photograph Year: 1982 Size: 9.8 × 7.8 inches Edition C.L.A.G Carl Laszlo, Basel Gallery COA provided Robert Mapplethorpe was born November 4, 1946, in Floral...
C Print
Sold
H 1.5 in W 12 in D 13.5 in
Pistils - Robert Mapplethorpe, Photography Hardcover Cased Book 1st Edition 1996
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Pistils, Photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe with an Essay by John Ashbery. Hardcover in case and dust jacket – 1st Edition, 1996 Robert Mapplethorpe began taking photographs in th...
Paper
Sold
H 12 in W 12 in
Patti Smith Horses vinyl 1st Pressing (Robert Mapplethorpe Patti Smith)
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Patti Smith Horses Vinyl Record Album, 1975: US 1st Pressing featuring original photography by Robert Mapplethorpe. Produced by John Cale. Cover: Very Good to overall vintage condit...
Offset