Ralph Eugene Meatyard

(American, 1925–1972)

Ralph Eugene Meatyard was an American photographer known for his enigmatic portraits and use of multiple exposures. Though he did not gain much recognition during his lifetime, the artist’s haunting images of masked children have since established him as a key figure in American photography. Born on May 15, 1925 in Normal, IL, he joined the Navy during the end of World War II without seeing any combat. After returning from the war, Meatyard studied to become an optician and shortly thereafter accepted a job at an optical firm in Lexington, KY. He first came into contact with photography in 1950 through his job, which sold both optical and photo equipment. After purchasing his first camera, Meatyard joined the Lexington Camera club and learned many of the basics of the medium from another club member named Van Deren Coke. The artist continued his education in the mid-1950s, when he attended a summer photography course taught by Henry Holmes Smith and Minor White at Indiana University. In the years that followed, he began to incorporate his interest in Zen philosophy and jazz music into his practice. Meatyard was just beginning to gain recognition for his work before his death on May 7, 1972 in Lexington, KY. Today, his photographs are held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, among others.
 

Ralph Eugene Meatyard Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Ralph Eugene Meatyard (321 results)
Untitled, 1956

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1956

Sale Date: October 17, 2007

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1960–1969

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1960–1969

Sale Date: October 16, 2007

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1964

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1964

Sale Date: October 16, 2007

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1960

Sale Date: June 7, 2007

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1965

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1965

Sale Date: June 7, 2007

Auction Closed

Michael and Christopher, 1959

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Michael and Christopher, 1959

Sale Date: June 7, 2007

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1955

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1955

Sale Date: April 25, 2007

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1960

Sale Date: April 25, 2007

Auction Closed

Boys playing, 1963

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Boys playing, 1963

Sale Date: April 23, 2007

Auction Closed

Untitled - Flag - Derelict interior with..., 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled - Flag - Derelict interior with..., 1960

Sale Date: April 23, 2007

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1960

Sale Date: October 19, 2006

Auction Closed

Portrait of two people in Halloween masks

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Portrait of two people in Halloween masks

Sale Date: September 10, 2006

Auction Closed

Portrait of a boy

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Portrait of a boy

Sale Date: September 10, 2006

Auction Closed

Untitled

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled

Sale Date: September 10, 2006

Auction Closed

Untitled

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled

Sale Date: September 10, 2006

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1960

Sale Date: April 26, 2006

Auction Closed

Lucybelle Crater and her proliferous..., 1970–1972

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Lucybelle Crater and her proliferous..., 1970–1972

Sale Date: April 25, 2006

Auction Closed

Untitled (+ 2 others; 3 works, various..., 1950–1972

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (+ 2 others; 3 works, various..., 1950–1972

Sale Date: November 15, 2005

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1965

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1965

Sale Date: October 20, 2005

Auction Closed

Portrait of Thomas Merton, 1965

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Portrait of Thomas Merton, 1965

Sale Date: October 20, 2005

Auction Closed

Untitled (Glass cabinet doors), 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Glass cabinet doors), 1960

Sale Date: October 18, 2005

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1960

Sale Date: October 7, 2005

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1957

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1957

Sale Date: October 7, 2005

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1962

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1962

Sale Date: April 27, 2005

Auction Closed

English (US)

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