Filippo de Pisis and Robert Mapplethorpe: A Distant Conversation is a new exhibition that pairs the work of painter Filippo de Pisis (Italian, 1896–1956) and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe (American, 1946–1989) as part of Distant Conversations, a series that features artists engaging in intergenerational dialogues across barriers of time and space.

The two artists never met in real life, and yet their work reveals astonishing similarities. “I was working separately on de Pisis and Mapplethorpe when I realized that there were many connections between the two,” explains Lorenzo Fusi, the exhibition’s curator. “I believe that these similarities are rooted in the commonality of their art-historical references and lived experience of the world.”

In unveiling these pairings for the first time, American audiences have an opportunity to discover the work of one of the most prolific Italian artists of the 20th century, and to consider lesser-known photographs by Mapplethorpe and revisit his oeuvre from a new perspective.

The Currier brings together 42 artworks by de Pisis, between paintings and works on paper, in what is effectively the largest exhibition of his work ever staged on US soil. His artworks will be displayed in tandem with 38 photographs by Mapplethorpe.

This exhibition is generously supported by Jay Surdukowski. Additional support by the Kimon and Anne Zachos Exhibition Fund.

about the artists
Filippo de Pisis (Luigi Filippo Tibertelli) (1896–1956) 
Born in 1896 in Ferrara (Italy), de Pisis studied literature and philosophy at the University of Bologna before moving to Rome in 1920, where he started to paint. A published author (poetry, novels, and essays), de Pisis is best known for his paintings (principally cityscapes, metaphysical maritime scenes, and still lifes, often including flowers). He also executed many portraits and studies of the male nude. 

The Associazione per Filippo de Pisis, which is partnering with the Currier on this exhibition, was instituted after the artist’s death to authenticate, preserve, research, catalog, and disseminate the work of de Pisis nationally and internationally. 

Robert Mapplethorpe (1946–1989) 
One of the most prominent and controversial fine arts photographers of his generation, Robert Mapplethorpe was born in Queens in 1946. Mapplethorpe’s instantly recognizable black-and-white photos are among the most iconic images of the 1970s and 80s. They became instant classics, a status they retain to this day despite some posthumous controversies. 

The works on view at the Currier are on loan from the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, established by the artist prior to his death with two principal goals: to support photography as an art form and to help fund HIV/AIDS medical research.