ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE | Double Jack in the Pulpit

dye-transfer print, flush-mounted, the photographer's copyright stamp, signed and dated in ink, and with title, edition '5/7,' and '[MAP] DT 1880' in ink on the reverse, framed, 1988 

Christie's New York, 5 April 1995, Sale 8126, Lot 55 Collection of Joseph and Laverne Schieszler

Sotheby's New York, Photographs from the Collection of Joseph and Laverne Schieszler, 10 October 2005, Sale 8164, Lot 33

Janet Kardon, Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment (Philadelphia: The Institute of Contemporary Art, 1988), pl. 86 Robert Mapplethorpe: Flowers (Boston, 1990), pl. 46

John Ashbery, Mapplethorpe Pistils (New York, 1996), p. 138

Herbert Muschamp, Mapplethorpe: The Complete Flowers (New York, 2006), pl. 183

This vibrant dye-transfer print is in generally excellent condition. As is typical of dye-transfer prints, the magenta dye of the image extends slightly in the margin. A few minor hairline scratches are visible only when examining this photograph closely in high raking light. There is insignificant soiling from handling in the margins. The reverse is faintly age-darkened and the signature and date have faded. 'RMG # M8810.132-C' is written in an unidentified hand in pencil on the reverse.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

As an artist and a photographer, Mapplethorpe was, above all, a master of beauty. His attention to detail, his gifts for lighting and composition, and his exacting craftsmanship transformed each object before his camera into an idealized symbol.  His flower images, such as the vibrant dye-transfer print of Double Jack in the Pulpit offered here, are the essence of 'the perfect moment' and have become the most enduring aspect of his work in the decades that have followed.