'Man in Polyester Suit' (from Z portfolio), 1980
Robert Mapplethorpe's 'Man in Polyester Suit' from the Z portfolio (1980) is a significant work in Mapplethorpe's photographic oeuvre. The image exemplifies his controversial approach to figurative photography and portraiture.
- Location
- Sotheby's, New York, NY
- Spotted At
- Auction House · Sotheby'sView on map
🔨 Auction Lot
Photographs
November 10, 2021
Estimate: $10,000 to $15,000
Lot 41
Spotted works by Robert Mapplethorpe
Artists in conversation
Herb Ritts
American · b. 1952
Ritts similarly worked in bold black and white figurative photography with a minimalist aesthetic, often centering the human body in conceptual portrait compositions that balance formal elegance with provocative subject matter.
Peter Hujar
American · b. 1934
Hujar shared Mapplethorpe's commitment to fine art black and white portraiture within queer culture, bringing the same conceptual directness and unflinching gaze to figurative subjects rendered with stark tonal contrast.
Zanele Muholi
South African · b. 1972
Muholi creates bold, high contrast black and white figurative portraits that are deeply conceptual and politically charged, exploring identity and the body with the same confrontational clarity found in this specific Mapplethorpe image.
Start the Discussion
Request access to join the discussion