Robert Mapplethorpe Donald Cann
Robert Mapplethorpe
1946 - 1989
Donald Cann
gelatin silver print, flush-mounted, the photographer's estate stamp, signed and dated in ink by Michael Ward Stout, Executor, and with title 'Donald Caan [sic]', date, edition '6/10', and MAP number '825' in ink, and with the photographer's copyright stamp on the reverse, framed, 1982
image: 38.3 by 38.3 cm (15⅛ by 15⅛ in.)
frame: 70 by 68.6 cm (27½ by 27 in.)
Condition Report:
Please note the colours and shades in the online catalogue illustration may vary depending on screen settings.
This photograph is in generally excellent condition. There are scattered, tiny deposits of original retouching visible under very close examination. There are a few small sharp creases and a fingerprint in the lower margin, not impacting the image. The upper left margin corner is slightly bumped and the upper paper-ply is folded back.
On the reverse, there are some scattered rust colored deposits, possibly foxing. 'V [circled]' is written in pencil in an unidentified hand.
Catalogue Note:
Robert Mapplethorpe began working with photography in 1971, when he was given a Polaroid camera by the artist and filmmaker Sandy Daley. Photography quickly became his medium of choice, and he had his first solo photographic show in 1973: an exhibition of Polaroids at Light Gallery. By the early 1970s, Mapplethorpe had begun to address the themes that he would continue to explore throughout his career: homosexuality, eroticism, transgression, flowers, and portraits. During this period he also refined his craft and approach. While multiple-image compositions and mixed media tended to dominate the work of the early 1970s, by the end of the decade Mapplethorpe had begun to concentrate upon single, stand-alone images. By the early 1980s, he had largely moved past the shock effects of his sadomasochistic imagery and embarked upon a more nuanced photographic investigation of eroticism and homosexuality. It is during this time that we begin to see the emergence of the Mapplethorpe aesthetic, and Donald Cann is exemplary of Mapplethorpe’s new approach.
Around the same time, Mapplethorpe had become increasingly drawn to exploring the black male body through photography. He captured various men he encountered in New York, including Milton Moore, Donald Cann and Charles Edward Bowman (see Lot 3). The present photograph is one of the few images in which the subject looks straight into the camera. The meticulous composition of Cann, bathed in dramatic light, has all the hallmarks of Mapplethorpe’s mature style.
Provenance:
Sotheby's London, 20 May 2010, Sale 10430, Lot 56
Private collection
Sotheby's Paris, 14 November 2014, Sale 1420, Lot 117
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Robert Mapplethorpe
1946 - 1989
Donald Cann
gelatin silver print, flush-mounted, the photographer's estate stamp, signed and dated in ink by Michael Ward Stout, Executor, and with title 'Donald Caan [sic]', date, edition '6/10', and MAP number '825' in ink, and with the photographer's copyright stamp on the reverse, framed, 1982
image: 38.3 by 38.3 cm (15⅛ by 15⅛ in.)
frame: 70 by 68.6 cm (27½ by 27 in.)
Condition Report:
Please note the colours and shades in the online catalogue illustration may vary depending on screen settings.
This photograph is in generally excellent condition. There are scattered, tiny deposits of original retouching visible under very close examination. There are a few small sharp creases and a fingerprint in the lower margin, not impacting the image. The upper left margin corner is slightly bumped and the upper paper-ply is folded back.
On the reverse, there are some scattered rust colored deposits, possibly foxing. 'V [circled]' is written in pencil in an unidentified hand.
Catalogue Note:
Robert Mapplethorpe began working with photography in 1971, when he was given a Polaroid camera by the artist and filmmaker Sandy Daley. Photography quickly became his medium of choice, and he had his first solo photographic show in 1973: an exhibition of Polaroids at Light Gallery. By the early 1970s, Mapplethorpe had begun to address the themes that he would continue to explore throughout his career: homosexuality, eroticism, transgression, flowers, and portraits. During this period he also refined his craft and approach. While multiple-image compositions and mixed media tended to dominate the work of the early 1970s, by the end of the decade Mapplethorpe had begun to concentrate upon single, stand-alone images. By the early 1980s, he had largely moved past the shock effects of his sadomasochistic imagery and embarked upon a more nuanced photographic investigation of eroticism and homosexuality. It is during this time that we begin to see the emergence of the Mapplethorpe aesthetic, and Donald Cann is exemplary of Mapplethorpe’s new approach.
Around the same time, Mapplethorpe had become increasingly drawn to exploring the black male body through photography. He captured various men he encountered in New York, including Milton Moore, Donald Cann and Charles Edward Bowman (see Lot 3). The present photograph is one of the few images in which the subject looks straight into the camera. The meticulous composition of Cann, bathed in dramatic light, has all the hallmarks of Mapplethorpe’s mature style.
Provenance:
Sotheby's London, 20 May 2010, Sale 10430, Lot 56
Private collection
Sotheby's Paris, 14 November 2014, Sale 1420, Lot 117
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
