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 (Boy by window), 1961

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Boy by window), 1961

Sale Date: December 11, 2018

Auction Closed

Romance from Ambrose Bierce #3, 1962

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Romance from Ambrose Bierce #3, 1962

Sale Date: October 12, 2018

Auction Closed

Lucybelle Crater and Lucybelle Crater, 1970–1972

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Lucybelle Crater and Lucybelle Crater, 1970–1972

Sale Date: October 4, 2018

Auction Closed

Occasion for diriment, 1962

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Occasion for diriment, 1962

Sale Date: October 4, 2018

Auction Closed

Romance of Ambrose Bierce #3 from Portfolio..., 1964

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Romance of Ambrose Bierce #3 from Portfolio..., 1964

Sale Date: February 28, 2018

Auction Closed

Untitled (Man with hook)

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Man with hook)

Sale Date: February 28, 2018

Auction Closed

Two figures

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Two figures

Sale Date: February 15, 2018

Auction Closed

PORTFOLIO THREE: THE WORK OF RALPH..., 1959–1971

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

PORTFOLIO THREE: THE WORK OF RALPH..., 1959–1971

Sale Date: October 5, 2017

Auction Closed

UNTITLED (FROM 'THE OLD SOUTH'), 1954–1955

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

UNTITLED (FROM 'THE OLD SOUTH'), 1954–1955

Sale Date: October 5, 2017

Auction Closed

Untitled (face and branch), 1962

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (face and branch), 1962

Sale Date: October 3, 2017

Auction Closed

Untitled (Boy Making Gesture), from..., 1959–1971

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Boy Making Gesture), from..., 1959–1971

Sale Date: April 25, 2017

Auction Closed

Untitled (Boy with Flag), from Ralph..., 1959–1971

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Boy with Flag), from Ralph..., 1959–1971

Sale Date: April 25, 2017

Auction Closed

Untitled

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled

Sale Date: April 4, 2017

Auction Closed

Untitled (scream), 1955–1958

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (scream), 1955–1958

Sale Date: April 4, 2017

Auction Closed

Untitled, (two ghosts with fireplace), 1969

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled, (two ghosts with fireplace), 1969

Sale Date: April 4, 2017

Auction Closed

Untitled (Guy Mendes), from the Center for..., 1971

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Guy Mendes), from the Center for..., 1971

Sale Date: October 27, 2016

Auction Closed

Branches, 1956

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Branches, 1956

Sale Date: February 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Nude child with mask, 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Nude child with mask, 1960

Sale Date: February 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Boy by window, 1960

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Boy by window, 1960

Sale Date: February 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Untitled (Man in Striped Shirt)

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Untitled (Man in Striped Shirt)

Sale Date: May 5, 2016

Auction Closed

Men on Bench, 1950's, 1950–1959

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Men on Bench, 1950's, 1950–1959

Sale Date: May 5, 2016

Auction Closed

Center for Photographic Studies Invitational , 1972

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Center for Photographic Studies Invitational , 1972

Sale Date: April 19, 2016

Auction Closed

Girl with Tea Set, 1967, 1967

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Girl with Tea Set, 1967, 1967

Sale Date: April 17, 2016

Auction Closed

Romant #45, circa 1959, 1959

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Romant #45, circa 1959, 1959

Sale Date: April 17, 2016

Auction Closed

English (US)

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