The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation confirms that this print is one of only two platinum prints of this image with black borders.

Mapplethorpe pushed the boundaries of the photographic medium through his experimentation with photographic techniques and constructions. He made platinum prints with black borders only in 1986-87 and this print is a rare and beautiful example of his exploration in platinum. Mapplethorpe sought 'perfection of form' in his images -- whether capturing a body or a flower -- and it is clear that he has achieved it in this image of a single calla lily.


1 Robert Mapplethorpe, Bellport Press, 1987.