Orchid
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
photogravure
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Graphicstudio/University of South Florida and the Artist
Accession Number
1987.77.24
Art Historical Context
Robert Mapplethorpe's *Orchid* (1987) captures the delicate yet dramatic beauty of its namesake flower through the lens of one of the 20th century's most photographers. Known for his meticulous black-and-white compositions, Mapplethorpe elevated floral still lifes to sculptural heights, often imbuing them with sensual tension akin to his portraits and nudes. This print, part of his late-career flower series, exemplifies his fascination with form, texture, and light, transforming a simple bloom into a study of elegance and intensity. Created as a photogravure—a 19th-century intaglio process re...