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)
Ralph Eugene Meatyard: Portfolio Three..., 1959–1971

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard: Portfolio Three..., 1959–1971

Sale Date: February 14, 2005

Auction Closed

Dolls, 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Dolls, 1960

Sale Date: October 15, 2004

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1960

Sale Date: October 15, 2004

Auction Closed

Sans titre, 1971–1971

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Sans titre, 1971–1971

Sale Date: June 10, 2004

Auction Closed

Sans titre, 1960–1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Sans titre, 1960–1960

Sale Date: June 10, 2004

Auction Closed

Sans titre, 1963–1963

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Sans titre, 1963–1963

Sale Date: June 10, 2004

Auction Closed

Ralph Eugene Meatyard: Portfolio three, 1974–1974

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard: Portfolio three, 1974–1974

Sale Date: May 20, 2004

Auction Closed

Boy in branches, 1960–1969

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Boy in branches, 1960–1969

Sale Date: April 28, 2004

Auction Closed

Untitled (Child in light and shadow), 1958–1958

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Child in light and shadow), 1958–1958

Sale Date: October 21, 2003

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1961–1961

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1961–1961

Sale Date: October 18, 2003

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1961–1961

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1961–1961

Sale Date: October 18, 2003

Auction Closed

Untitled (Michael with discarded windows), 1963–1963

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Michael with discarded windows), 1963–1963

Sale Date: October 18, 2003

Auction Closed

Boy with mask, 1963–1963

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Boy with mask, 1963–1963

Sale Date: October 17, 2003

Auction Closed

Boy with dolls and mirrors, 1960–1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Boy with dolls and mirrors, 1960–1960

Sale Date: October 17, 2003

Auction Closed

Lucybelle Crater, 1970–1970

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Lucybelle Crater, 1970–1970

Sale Date: October 16, 2003

Auction Closed

The boy with glass shard, 1962–1962

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

The boy with glass shard, 1962–1962

Sale Date: May 15, 2003

Auction Closed

Lucybelle Crater and Jonathan Greene, 1971–1971

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Lucybelle Crater and Jonathan Greene, 1971–1971

Sale Date: April 23, 2003

Auction Closed

Boy holding dolls, 1961–1962

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Boy holding dolls, 1961–1962

Sale Date: April 23, 2003

Auction Closed

Boy below white mask, 1962–1962

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Boy below white mask, 1962–1962

Sale Date: April 23, 2003

Auction Closed

Selected images, 1960–1969

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Selected images, 1960–1969

Sale Date: February 12, 2003

Auction Closed

Abstraction, 1950–1959

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Abstraction, 1950–1959

Sale Date: February 10, 2003

Auction Closed

Boy in old man's mask with doll, 1960–1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Boy in old man's mask with doll, 1960–1960

Sale Date: October 26, 2002

Auction Closed

Still life with a plate and bird, 1960–1969

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Still life with a plate and bird, 1960–1969

Sale Date: October 21, 2002

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1960–1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1960–1960

Sale Date: October 21, 2002

Auction Closed

English (US)

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