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)
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
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
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
Eric Clapton "Shangri La"
By Ed Caraeff
Located in Austin, TX
Guitar legend, Eric Clapton, taking a break from recording his album ‘No Reason To Cry’ at Shangri La recording studio in Malibu, CA, US, November 21, 1975. Limited edition number 2/...
Archival Pigment
$3,750
H 23.5 in W 21.25 in D 1 in
^Framed^ Dirty Rotten Scoundrels by Terry O'Neill - Estate Stamped - 7/50
By Terry O'Neill
Located in Chicago, IL
Actors Steve Martin and Michael Caine starring in Frank Oz’s film ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ in which the pair play competing con artists, Cote d’Azure, 1988. Paper size: 20 H x 16 W...
Silver Gelatin
The Beastie Boys 1987 by Lynn Goldsmith
By Lynn Goldsmith
Located in Austin, TX
Signed limited edition print of The Beastie Boys taken in 1987 by Lynn Goldsmith Signed limited edition #7/20 - signed, numbered and titled by Lynn Goldsmith
Archival Pigment
Kate Bush Underwater Tryptich
By Guido Harari
Located in Austin, TX
Underwater triptyc of Kate Bush captured during a photo shoot in London in 1989 Signed limited edition print, number 4/50 Guido Harari revealed during an i...
Giclée
$250
H 7.49 in W 9.49 in
Yesteryear's Wire Walker (Unidentified) – original circus photograph, 1950s
Located in Middletown, NY
Gelatin silver print mounted on board, 7 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (190 x 241 mm) from the Roland Butler Collection, Press Agent, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (1930s-1960s) Roland...
Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin
$3,822
H 16 in W 20 in D 0.1 in
Pousada dos Buzios, 1975 - Limited Edition Slim Aarons Estate Stamped C-Type
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Pousada dos Buzios, 1975 by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. 'Pousada dos Buzios' is a Limited Edition Estate Stamped Digital C-Type print by 20th Century American photographer Slim Aarons. Friends and acquaintances lying by the swimming pool at Pousada dos Buzios in Brazil are photographed by Slim Aarons. The man pictured is Italian restaurateur Stefano Monti. Just east of Rio de Janiero city is Buzios, formerly a quiet little fishing village and since the 1960s a bustling, animated, and absolutely upscale seaside resort, littered with fine restaurants, boutiques, and posh pousadas. Pictured here is one such pousada. Also found in Portugal, pousadas offer a blend between luxury hotel and intimate family-run inn. Slim Aarons also photographed "Buzios" which is available in the gallery. Both "Pousada dos Buzios" and "Buzios" were taken in the same place, but spaced years apart. Both 'Buzios' and 'Pousada dos Buzios' were taken in this location. The similarities between 'Buzios' and 'Pousada dos Buzios' are most evident in the subjects: the female sunbather wearing a black and white swimsuit with the straw sunhat appears to be in both scenes, and the female sunbather with short hair wearing the leopard print bikini appears similarly in both scenes. This image from August 1975...
Photographic Paper, Color, C Print, Digital
$2,450
H 20 in W 16 in
David Bowie & Twiggy Pin-Ups album cover, 1973 by Justin de Villeneuve
By Justin de Villeneuve
Located in Austin, TX
English model Twiggy poses with David Bowie in Paris for the cover of his ‘Pin Ups’ album, 1973, by Justin de Villeneuve Justin recalls, "Twiggy and I were staying in the Bel Air Hotel in LA when Peter...
C Print
Varanasi, India
By Pentti Sammallahti
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Pentti Sammallahti is a benchmark figure in contemporary Finnish photography. His works depict nature eroded and broken down by civilization, but he does not put man and the environm...
Silver Gelatin
Audrey Hepburn
By Norman Parkinson
Located in Austin, TX
Audrey Hepburn is photographed wearing a Givenchy afternoon cocktail dress from his Spring/Summer 1955 collection at ‘Villa Rolli’, a farmhouse in the A...
C Print
$250
H 7.49 in W 9.49 in
Lou Jacobs World Famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown
Located in Middletown, NY
Gelatin silver print mounted on board, 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (241 x 190 mm) from the Roland Butler Collection, Press Agent, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (1930s-1960s) Ro...
Photographic Paper
Barbra Streisand
By Lawrence Schiller
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This black and white photograph is a portrait of Barbara Streisand backstage, getting ready for a performance. It is a beautiful and intimate portrait of the celebrity.
Silver Gelatin
$3,822
H 12 in W 16 in D 0.1 in
Keep Your Cool - Limited Edition Estate Stamped C-Type Photography
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Keep Your Cool - Backgammon Players Swimming Pool France by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. Keep Your Cool is a Lim...
Photographic Paper, Color, C Print, Digital
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
William S. Burroughs
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...
C Print
William S. Burroughs
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...
C Print
William S. Burroughs
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...
C Print
William S. Burroughs
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...
C Print
William S. Burroughs
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 COA provided Robert Mapplethorpe was born November 4, 1946...
C Print
William S. Burroughs
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 COA provided Robert Mapplethorpe was born November 4, 1946...
C Print
Sold
H 14 in W 11 in
Pete Farndon, bassist, founding member of band Pretenders by Robert Mapplethorpe
By Robert Mapplethorpe
Located in New york, NY
A unique print from 1980 by Robert Mapplethorpe of Pete Farndon, the bassist, and founding member of the band Pretenders. The editorial-sized photo is 10" x 10 1/16" (image size) on ...
Silver Gelatin, Photographic Film