In collaboration with Numéro art
On the occasion of the exhibition ‘Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection’ at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, Newell Harbin, Director of the couple’s collection, evokes their story through five masterpieces.
Robert Mapplethorpe’s Self-Portrait
‘It’s difficult for me to reflect on this print without recalling its former place in Elton’s Atlanta residence. There, he housed an expansive glass collection, and Robert Mapplethorpe’s Self-Portrait (1985) featured prominently above a striking array of red and orange vertical glass which resembled flames. The arrangement whimsically portrayed Mapplethorpe as the devil, presiding over the living room! Only Elton and David, with their playful sense of humor, could infuse even more creativity into such an iconic self-portrait.’
