Classicism reimagined in the sensual staged portraits of Robert Mapplethorpe and Wilhelm von Gloeden

Acclaimed photographer Robert Mapplethorpe (1946–89) was also a dedicated collector. Upon visiting Italy in the 1980s, he became familiar with the holdings of Fratelli Alinari and more specifically the work of Wilhelm von Gloeden (1856–1931). One of the forerunners of staged photography, von Gloeden’s oeuvre was filled with sensuous images of gods, angels and demons. These motifs find their own reverberation in Mapplethorpe’s striking nudes and silhouettes. Mapplethorpe/von Gloeden juxtaposes the work of these two visionaries to striking effect. The interest in the classical and the sculptural approach in the photographic medium comes alive in both photographers’ choice of subjects, poses and atmospheres. The result is an ethereal yet unconventional image of beauty and eros. Taken together, these photographs invite questions about the themes of the body’s sensuality, and offer themselves as food for thought on how art, morality and spirituality continuously evolve.

Hardcover, March 4, 2025, 224 pages, 270 mm x 190 mm