10 Black-and-White Flowers by Mapplethorpe That Will Seduce You

Robert Mapplethorpe is generally associated with his controversial and homoerotic photography, documents of New York’s gritty underbelly during the 1970s and ‘80s. Here, however, are ten images from Phaidon’s new compendium Mapplethorpe Flora: The Complete Flowers that show the American photographer bringing his skill with light and shadow to bear on another favorite subject: flowers. If you’re hungry for more of Mapplethorpe’s floral works, read a piece of Herbert Muschamp’s introduction to the book here , check out some of his color imagery here , and purchase the full book here .

1. Orchid , 1977

2. Flower , 1980

3. Flower Arrangement , 1980

4. Bird of Paradise , 1981

5. Flower , 1983

6. Flowers , 1983

7. Iris and Zinnia , 1984

8. Rose with Smoke , 1985

9. Tulip , 1985

10. Calla Lily , 1988

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Click here to learn more about our Mapplethorpe: Flora gift set.