Behind the Covers

mapplethorpe

1 cover story in our archive

Behind the Covers' archive includes 1 album cover documented under the "mapplethorpe" design theme, all from the 1970s. The cover sits within the rock, punk tradition and features work by Patti Smith. Each entry below includes the cover artwork, the designers and photographers behind it, and a short story about the visual choices that defined the release.

Horses by Patti Smith — album cover art

Horses by Patti Smith (1975)

Robert Mapplethorpe's photograph of Smith — jacket over shoulder, no makeup, androgynous confidence — demolished gendered expectations for female musicians. It has been called the greatest rock and roll portrait ever taken.

Label
Arista
Photographer
Robert Mapplethorpe
Genre
Rock, Punk
Decade
1970s
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