The exhibition

Rome welcomes one of the most anticipated cultural events of the season with Robert Mapplethorpe. The Forms of Beauty, hosted at the Ara Pacis Museum. This major exhibition marks the final chapter of an important touring project dedicated to the celebrated American photographer, widely regarded as one of the leading figures in contemporary photography.
Featuring more than 200 photographs, the exhibition offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore Mapplethorpe’s artistic vision and his lifelong pursuit of beauty. Through iconic images and lesser-known works, the exhibition examines themes of harmony, balance, formal rigor and emotional intensity, revealing the distinctive style that made Mapplethorpe internationally renowned.
Each photograph reflects a meticulous creative process. Working with his iconic Hasselblad camera, Mapplethorpe carefully orchestrated every detail, controlling light, composition and geometry to transform reality into a perfectly crafted artistic statement. Human bodies, portraits and still lifes are treated with the same precision and elegance, resulting in timeless images that continue to influence photographers and artists around the world.
The Rome exhibition brings together many of the artist’s most celebrated masterpieces, previously showcased in Venice and Milan. Visitors can admire his famous self-portraits, photographs of his muses Patti Smith and Lisa Lyon, as well as striking portraits of influential figures from the worlds of art, literature, music and cinema, including Yoko Ono, Robert Rauschenberg, Donald Sutherland, David Byrne and Richard Gere.
Particularly captivating is the section dedicated to flowers and still lifes, where Mapplethorpe transforms ordinary subjects into extraordinary studies of form and beauty.
Alongside these works are his renowned photographs of the male and female body, captured with a sculptural quality that recalls classical marble statues.
A special section explores Mapplethorpe’s relationship with Italy and his fascination with classical antiquity. The exhibition creates a dialogue between photography and ancient art through the display of two remarkable sculptures from the Capitoline Museums: a Statue of Aphrodite dating from between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD and a Statue of an Athlete from the 1st century AD, a Roman copy of a Greek original from the 5th century BC.

Don’t miss one of the most important photography exhibitions in Rome this summer. Stay at 47 Boutique Hotel, just a pleasant 30-minute walk from the Ara Pacis Museum.