Robert Mapplethorpe (b. New York, USA, 1946; d. New York, USA, 1989) studied for a B.F.A. from The Pratt Institute, before dropping out in 1969 to become one of the most iconic artists of the late twentieth century. Mounting over 50 solo exhibitions during his life, including numerous museum shows in the USA, Europe and Japan, he has since his death continued to be the subject of important retrospectives. Recent exhibitions include Robert Mapplethorpe: Perfection in Form, Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence (2009, traveled to Museo d'Arte della Città di Lugano - Villa Malpensata, Lugano); Polaroids, Modern Art Oxford, Oxford (2009, traveled to Henry Art Gallery, Seattle); Robert Mapplethorpe: Retrospective, NRW-Forum Kultur und Wirtschaft, Düsseldorf (2010); Robert Mapplethorpe, The Museo de Arte Latinamericano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires (2010); and Robert Mapplethorpe: Photography and Sculpture, Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne (2010).
