Today, Robert Mapplethorpe is recognized as firmly an artist of his time, whose work was richly steeped in the classical tradition. Even his most transgressive work borrowed heavily from the conventions of such masters as Michelangelo. Although separated by the centuries, each artist helped shape how we view the world. This book explores the connection from both academic and aesthetic perspectives. Serving as exhibition catalogue for a May 2009 show at Florence’s Accademia, this volume shows how these two artists used the body to illustrate the human experience and contains valuable commentary by curators, as well as analysis from art and photography historians