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 (Young boy on a porch), 1960–1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Young boy on a porch), 1960–1960

Sale Date: December 10, 1998

Auction Closed

Untitled (Boy with bones), 1959–1959

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Boy with bones), 1959–1959

Sale Date: October 6, 1998

Auction Closed

Girl with the American flag, 1967–1967

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Girl with the American flag, 1967–1967

Sale Date: October 5, 1998

Auction Closed

Boy before building, 1960–1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Boy before building, 1960–1960

Sale Date: October 7, 1997

Auction Closed

Boy in doorway, 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Boy in doorway, 1960

Sale Date: April 18, 1997

Auction Closed

Untitled (Blurred boy with small girl and boy), 1962

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Blurred boy with small girl and boy), 1962

Sale Date: April 17, 1997

Auction Closed

'Colored' sign, 1955

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

'Colored' sign, 1955

Sale Date: April 24, 1996

Auction Closed

Untitled (Floating mask), 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Floating mask), 1960

Sale Date: December 5, 1995

Auction Closed

Untitled (Dead fish), 1960–1969

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Dead fish), 1960–1969

Sale Date: December 5, 1995

Auction Closed

Lucybelle Crater and friend, 1970

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Lucybelle Crater and friend, 1970

Sale Date: December 5, 1995

Auction Closed

Untitled (Gravestone), 1959

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Gravestone), 1959

Sale Date: October 6, 1995

Auction Closed

Untitled (Boy in doorway), 1960–1969

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Boy in doorway), 1960–1969

Sale Date: October 6, 1995

Auction Closed

Untitled (Doll on bed), 1961

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Doll on bed), 1961

Sale Date: October 5, 1995

Auction Closed

Untitled (Doll parts)

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Doll parts)

Sale Date: April 6, 1995

Auction Closed

Untitled (Interior with 2 boys)

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Interior with 2 boys)

Sale Date: April 6, 1995

Auction Closed

SELECTED IMAGES, 1955–1972

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

SELECTED IMAGES, 1955–1972

Sale Date: April 23, 1994

Auction Closed

Table Setting, 1955

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Table Setting, 1955

Sale Date: December 7, 1993

Auction Closed

UNTITLED (MASKED ADULT WITH CHILDREN IN LAP), 1962

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

UNTITLED (MASKED ADULT WITH CHILDREN IN LAP), 1962

Sale Date: April 8, 1993

Auction Closed

UNTITLED (BOY SITTING IN GRASS), 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

UNTITLED (BOY SITTING IN GRASS), 1960

Sale Date: October 16, 1992

Auction Closed

CHRISTOPHER, 1961

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

CHRISTOPHER, 1961

Sale Date: October 13, 1992

Auction Closed

NO TITLE GIVEN, 1950–1956

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

NO TITLE GIVEN, 1950–1956

Sale Date: October 9, 1991

Auction Closed

NO TITLE GIVEN , 1950

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

NO TITLE GIVEN , 1950

Sale Date: October 9, 1991

Auction Closed

ENFANT ALLONGE ET OMBRE, 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

ENFANT ALLONGE ET OMBRE, 1960

Sale Date: May 31, 1991

Auction Closed

NO TITLE GIVEN, 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

NO TITLE GIVEN, 1960

Sale Date: May 31, 1991

Auction Closed

English (US)

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