September 2025
Robert Mapplethorpe Presents the First of His Italian Solo Exhibition Trilogy: Robert Mapplethorpe. Le form del classico
A major retrospective of the iconic American contemporary photographer Robert Mapplethorpe (1946–1989), Robert Mapplethorpe. Le form del classico, is on view at Le Stanze della Fotografia, situated on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy. Presenting over 200 photographs, including works making their Italian debut, the exhibition highlights Mapplethorpe’s exploration and (re)interpretation of “classical aesthetic.”
The exhibition explores the beauty of the human body, where classical and contemporary aesthetics converge, bringing together Mapplethorpe’s early collage works alongside his nudes, still lifes, portraits, and self-portraits. In Mapplethorpe's works, male and female body illustrate perfect sinuosity, blending sensual and sacred beauty, which these contrasting elements are boldly unified throughout his oeuvre.
Notably, Mapplethorpe's early collage works from the late 1960s—many of them never shown before—incorporate drawings, images from pornographic magazines, and various found objects, reflecting his persistent exploration of identity. The exhibition also highlights his artistic partners and muses, including Patti Smith, whose presence embodies diverse codes of popular culture captured through photography, and Lisa Lyon, whose sculpted physique helped Mapplethorpe build his reputation as a cult photographer. Through these works, Mapplethorpe transcends traditional notions of gender while simultaneously revealing the beauty and vulnerability of human body. Moreover, his self-portraits present identity as fluid and mutable, positioning himself both as subject and object.
On view through January 6, 2026, this exhibition marks the beginning of Mapplethorpe’s solo exhibition trilogy. The second exhibition Robert Mapplethorpe. Le forme del desiderio will be held in Palazzo Reale in Milan, featuring a curated selection of his most iconic and bold images. The finale, Robert Mapplethorpe. Le forme della bellezza, will open later the same year at Museo dell’Ara Pacis in Rome, highlighting Mapplethorpe’s pursuit of “beauty” through classical harmony.
The exhibition explores the beauty of the human body, where classical and contemporary aesthetics converge, bringing together Mapplethorpe’s early collage works alongside his nudes, still lifes, portraits, and self-portraits. In Mapplethorpe's works, male and female body illustrate perfect sinuosity, blending sensual and sacred beauty, which these contrasting elements are boldly unified throughout his oeuvre.
Notably, Mapplethorpe's early collage works from the late 1960s—many of them never shown before—incorporate drawings, images from pornographic magazines, and various found objects, reflecting his persistent exploration of identity. The exhibition also highlights his artistic partners and muses, including Patti Smith, whose presence embodies diverse codes of popular culture captured through photography, and Lisa Lyon, whose sculpted physique helped Mapplethorpe build his reputation as a cult photographer. Through these works, Mapplethorpe transcends traditional notions of gender while simultaneously revealing the beauty and vulnerability of human body. Moreover, his self-portraits present identity as fluid and mutable, positioning himself both as subject and object.
On view through January 6, 2026, this exhibition marks the beginning of Mapplethorpe’s solo exhibition trilogy. The second exhibition Robert Mapplethorpe. Le forme del desiderio will be held in Palazzo Reale in Milan, featuring a curated selection of his most iconic and bold images. The finale, Robert Mapplethorpe. Le forme della bellezza, will open later the same year at Museo dell’Ara Pacis in Rome, highlighting Mapplethorpe’s pursuit of “beauty” through classical harmony.
