Photograph, gelatin silver print on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
ARTIST ROOMS
National Heritage Memorial Fund
Art Fund
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/robert-mapplethorpe-11413" aria-label="More by Robert Mapplethorpe" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Robert Mapplethorpe</a>
Katherine Cebrian
ARTIST ROOMS
Acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund 2008
adults
Cebrian, Katherine
clothing and personal items
domestic
emotions, concepts and ideas
formal qualities
hat
individuals: female
interior - non-specific
interiors
named individuals
necklace
objects
people
photographic
portraits
woman
<p>In this black and white portrait photograph the socialite Katherine Cebrian sits in profile on an embroidered chair in front of a window, her left arm resting on her leg, her right arm stretched along the top of the seat as she gazes in front of her towards the left-hand edge of the picture. She is dressed in a black flowing caftan with her hair wrapped in a glittering black turban. A large necklace of gold and coral hangs around her neck and onto her chest, and a serpent bracelet is coiled around her wrist on her right arm. A thin vertical section of wall behind the chair indicates that the photograph was taken indoors, although either side of this wall are windows that reveal a leafy landscape beyond. Cebrian’s head is entirely framed by one of the windows so that her pale skin contrasts against the darker foliage outside.</p>
paper print photograph gelatin silver
26 April 2009 – 27 June 2009
2009-06-27
26 April 2009 – 27 June 2009
2009-06-27
2009-04-26
Inverness Museum & Art Gallery (Inverness, UK)
http://www.invernessmuseum.com
2009-04-26
ARTIST ROOMS 2009: Robert Mapplethorpe
Loan-out
19 December 2009 – 27 March 2010
2010-03-27
19 December 2009 – 27 March 2010
2010-03-27
2009-12-19
Graves Art Gallery (Sheffield, UK)
http://www.museums-sheffield.org.uk/coresite/html/graves.asp
2009-12-19
ARTIST ROOMS 2009: Robert Mapplethorpe
Loan-out
25 September 2010 – 21 November 2010
2010-11-21
25 September 2010 – 21 November 2010
2010-11-21
2010-09-25
Towner (Eastbourne, UK)
http://www.townereastbourne.org.uk/
2010-09-25
ARTIST ROOMS 2010: Robert Mapplethorpe
Loan-out
28 February 2015 – 23 May 2015
2015-05-23
28 February 2015 – 23 May 2015
2015-05-23
2015-02-28
Clydebank Museum (Clydebank, UK)
2015-02-28
ARTIST ROOMS 2015: Robert Mapplethorpe
Loan-out
Katherine Cebrian
support: 341 × 340 mm
frame: 613 × 587 × 39 mm
<a href="/search?gid=999999788" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">ARTIST ROOMS</a>
Acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the <a href="/search?gid=999999967" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">National Heritage Memorial Fund</a> and the <a href="/search?gid=999999968" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Art Fund</a> 2008
<div class="text">
<p>In this black and white portrait photograph the socialite Katherine Cebrian sits in profile on an embroidered chair in front of a window, her left arm resting on her leg, her right arm stretched along the top of the seat as she gazes in front of her towards the left-hand edge of the picture. She is dressed in a black flowing caftan with her hair wrapped in a glittering black turban. A large necklace of gold and coral hangs around her neck and onto her chest, and a serpent bracelet is coiled around her wrist on her right arm. A thin vertical section of wall behind the chair indicates that the photograph was taken indoors, although either side of this wall are windows that reveal a leafy landscape beyond. Cebrian’s head is entirely framed by one of the windows so that her pale skin contrasts against the darker foliage outside.</p>
<p>Robert Mapplethorpe took this portrait of Cebrian in her San Francisco home. He was introduced to the socialite by Edward de Celle, the owner of a gallery in San Francisco where Mapplethorpe had an exhibition at the time. De Celle, who referred to Cebrian as ‘San Francisco royalty’ (cited in Morrisroe 1995, p.240), arranged for Mapplethorpe to take Cebrian’s portrait, but was nervous about the photographer dressing and behaving inappropriately as Cebrian ‘abhorred bad manners’ (Morrisroe 1995, p.240). To de Celle’s horror Mapplethorpe wore his customary black leather outfit and a belt that spelled out the word ‘SHIT’. Although de Celle was anxious, according to Morrisroe, ‘Mapplethorpe worked his quiet charms on the elderly woman ... and continued talking softly to her while he set up his tripod in the sitting room’ (Morrisroe 1995, p.241). Cebrian enjoyed the session and immediately invited Mapplethorpe to attend the Convent of the Sacred Heart benefit for which she was dressed. To Cebrian’s surprise the photographer escorted her to the benefit dressed as he was, although this did not prevent her from introducing him to her friends and other members of San Francisco high society.</p>
<p>Portraiture forms a significant part of Mapplethorpe’s oeuvre. His biographer Patricia Morrisroe discusses the methods he used when taking portraits, noting that he usually began with a profile shot as he found it to be the most natural. From this profile position he would ‘rotate the head to locate the most becoming pose’ (Morrisroe 1995, p.241). Mapplethorpe clearly considered the profile shot in this case to be most fitting, as it emphasised Cebrian’s distinctive nose, which, according to Morrisroe, alludes to ‘nobility and power’ (Morrisroe 1995, p.241). The writer Peter Conrad has also noted the regal aspect of this portrait, referring to the faces of monarchs found on coins and postage stamps which transform the individual into a ‘symbol of value’. Moreover, a prominent nose, Conrad has argued, stands for ‘Roman-ness, and thus for empire’ (Conrad 1988, p.11).</p>
<p>De Celle explained that Cebrian was frequently approached for portraits, but that she usually turned offers down. According to the gallery owner, the success of this portrait was due to Mapplethorpe’s personable nature: ‘He was such an excellent observer, and he showed more interest in other people than anyone I’ve ever met. That’s what made his pictures so good, and why so many different people responded to him.’ (De Celle cited in Morrisroe 1995, p.141.)</p>
<p>
<b>Further reading</b>
<br/>Peter Conrad, ‘Twelve Facets of Mapplethorpe’, in <i>Mapplethorpe Portraits: Photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe 1975–87, </i>exhibition catalogue, National Portrait Gallery, London 1988, pp.9–21.<br/>Patricia Morrisroe, <i>Mapplethorpe. A Biography</i>,<i> </i>London 1995.</p>
<p>Susan Mc Ateer<br/>University of Edinburgh<br/>June 2013</p>
<p>
<i>The University of Edinburgh is a research partner of ARTIST ROOMS</i>.</p>
</div>

Summary
2014-06-13T00:00:00
summary
SHORT_TEXT
<p>Katherine Cebrian was one of the ‘grandes dames’ of San Francisco society, who famously said: “I don’t even butter my bread. I consider that cooking.” When Mapplethorpe was in town for the opening of a show at a private gallery, its owner arranged for Mapplethorpe to photograph her. He turned up at her house wearing a black leather outfit and a studded belt, spelling out the word ‘SHIT’. De Celle recollected: “I held my breath, but then Mapplethorpe worked his quiet charms on the elderly woman…talking softly to her while he set up his tripod in the sitting room. Mapplethorpe placed her in a window seat, with her face in profile.”</p>

Online caption
2009-04-16T00:00:00
online-caption
ONLINE_CAPTION
adults Cebrian, Katherine clothing and personal items domestic emotions, concepts and ideas formal qualities hat individuals: female interior - non-specific interiors named individuals necklace objects people photographic portraits woman