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 (Summer), 1960–1969

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Summer), 1960–1969

Sale Date: November 13, 2001

Auction Closed

Group of children with dolls and masks, 1963–1963

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Group of children with dolls and masks, 1963–1963

Sale Date: October 5, 2001

Auction Closed

Portfolio 3: The work of Ralph Eugene..., 1959–1971

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Portfolio 3: The work of Ralph Eugene..., 1959–1971

Sale Date: October 3, 2001

Auction Closed

Untitled (Girl in doorway), 1960–1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Girl in doorway), 1960–1960

Sale Date: April 18, 2001

Auction Closed

Untitled (Child with skull mask), 1962–1962

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Child with skull mask), 1962–1962

Sale Date: April 18, 2001

Auction Closed

Untitled (Two children on a stoop), 1964–1964

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Two children on a stoop), 1964–1964

Sale Date: April 18, 2001

Auction Closed

Portrait of a young girl, 1964–1964

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Portrait of a young girl, 1964–1964

Sale Date: October 20, 2000

Auction Closed

Man with artificial arm, 1960–1969

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Man with artificial arm, 1960–1969

Sale Date: October 20, 2000

Auction Closed

Romance of Ambrose Bierce - #3, 1962–1962

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Romance of Ambrose Bierce - #3, 1962–1962

Sale Date: October 20, 2000

Auction Closed

Untitled (Rest on), 1960–1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Rest on), 1960–1960

Sale Date: October 13, 2000

Auction Closed

Untitled (Hooded boy standing on rocks), 1959–1959

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Hooded boy standing on rocks), 1959–1959

Sale Date: October 13, 2000

Auction Closed

Untitled (Group of children with dolls..., 1963–1963

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Group of children with dolls..., 1963–1963

Sale Date: October 13, 2000

Auction Closed

Untitled (Still-life with hangers), 1961–1961

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Still-life with hangers), 1961–1961

Sale Date: October 13, 2000

Auction Closed

Untitled

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled

Sale Date: October 12, 2000

Auction Closed

Boy by window, 1960–1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Boy by window, 1960–1960

Sale Date: October 11, 2000

Auction Closed

Untitled (Boy and leaves), 1954–1955

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Boy and leaves), 1954–1955

Sale Date: April 5, 2000

Auction Closed

Untitled (Mask lying on sidewalk), 1964–1964

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Mask lying on sidewalk), 1964–1964

Sale Date: April 5, 2000

Auction Closed

Portfolio Three: The work of Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Portfolio Three: The work of Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Sale Date: April 4, 2000

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1959–1959

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, 1959–1959

Sale Date: April 3, 2000

Auction Closed

Self-portrait, double exposure, 1955–1955

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Self-portrait, double exposure, 1955–1955

Sale Date: October 8, 1999

Auction Closed

Untitled (sickle), 1960–1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (sickle), 1960–1960

Sale Date: October 7, 1999

Auction Closed

Man with barbed wire, 1960–1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Man with barbed wire, 1960–1960

Sale Date: April 27, 1999

Auction Closed

Boy in the woods with a soapbox car, 1960–1965

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Boy in the woods with a soapbox car, 1960–1965

Sale Date: April 27, 1999

Auction Closed

Cemetery #35, 1955–1969

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Cemetery #35, 1955–1969

Sale Date: April 27, 1999

Auction Closed

English (US)

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