This volume pays tribute to Robert Mapplethorpe, one of the greatest exponents of photography of the 20th century, through an unpublished comparison with Wilhelm von Gloeden and Fratelli Alinari: a comparison evocative, at times pointed, that reveals the recurrence of common themes. The interest in the Ancient and the sculptural approach to the photographic medium come alive in the choice of subjects, the definition of poses and the suspended atmospheres of the compositions, leading to the discovery of an unconventional idea of beauty and eros. The shots, inspired by the canons of classicism, invite questions about the themes of the body and sensuality and offer themselves as food for thought on how art, morality and spirituality change and evolve continuously in their mutual relationship.