Robert Mapplethorpe, Lisa Lyon, 1982, gelatin silver print, 16 x 20 in (40.6 x 50.8 cm), © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Used by permission.

This photograph is part of an exhibition, Robert Mapplethorpe: Perfection In Form, currently on view at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, Italy. The show presents Mapplethorpe’s work alongside sculptures by Michelangelo, who was a major influence on the photographer. This is the first exhibition of work by a post-Renaissance artist at the Galleria dell’Academia, and is also the first major photography exhibition at a Florentine state museum. The show opened in May and was due to come down at the end of the summer, but due to popularity the closing date was recently extended to January 10, 2010.