Altars. By Robert Mapplethorpe. First Edition, First Printing. Random House. New York, 1995.

American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe was a pioneer artist whose black and white photography and erotic nude photography were both celebrated and controversial in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. He innovated on the portrait and the nude by including subversive elements, interpreting beauty in unconventional ways. For his work, he became one of the most widely regarded photographers of the twentieth century. In this volume, Altars, Mapplethorpe’s work is celebrated posthumously in a wide-ranging selection–with some traditional portraits, some explicit BDSM imagery, some still life photography. It is an excellent showcase of his interests and artistic talents. Alongside the photography is an essay commemorating Mapplethorpe’s work by Edmund White.

This first edition, first printing is in near-fine condition. In the original cloth, fine. Text block fine. In the original dust jacket, fine. With the original slipcase, about-fine with only minor bumping and soiling.

A near-fine first edition by Robert Mapplethorpe.