5 Facts About Robert Mapplethorpe’s Patti Smith Album Cover

Robert Mapplethorpe shot the cover for Patti Smith’s 1975 debut album, Horses. The image shows Smith with a jacket slung over her shoulder, a look that became iconic.

Mapplethorpe and Smith were close friends and collaborators in New York’s art scene. Their creative partnership began years before the album cover.

The photo was taken in Mapplethorpe’s loft, using natural light. This gave the image its raw, unpolished feel.

Smith’s jacket was borrowed from a friend, not her own. The casual styling was intentional to match her punk aesthetic.

The cover helped launch both Smith’s music career and Mapplethorpe’s photography career. It remains one of the most recognizable album covers in rock history.