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Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and the founder of microbiology and vaccination.
Pasteur received a bachelor of arts and sciences from the Royal College of Besançon and a doctorate from the École Normale in Paris, then spent several years as a researcher and teacher at the Lycée de Dijon. In 1848 he became professor of chemistry at the University of Strasbourg, and in the following year began to study the nature of wine fermentation, which began his revolutionary journey of most important scientific discoveries.
He invented a way to kill bacteria by boiling and then cooling the liquid, a process known today as pasteurization. Pasteur discovered the first vaccine in 1879 when he was exposed to a disease called chicken cholera. By accidentally exposing chickens to a weakened form of the culture, he demonstrated that they became resistant to the actual virus. Pasteur subsequently expanded his theory of germs and developed causes and vaccines against anthrax, cholera, tuberculosis, and smallpox, and the success of Pasteur's rabies vaccine in 1885 brought him worldwide fame.
Louis Pasteur's contribution to science, technology and medicine cannot be overemphasized. He pioneered the study of molecular asymmetry; discovered that microorganisms cause fermentation and disease; invented the process of pasteurization; saved the brewing, wine and silk industries in France; developed vaccines against the dreaded diseases anthrax and rabies, which saved millions of lives.
In 1873, Pasteur was elected an associate member of the Academy of Medicine, in 1882 - a member of the French Academy, and in 1888 in Paris was opened the Pasteur Institute. He was also awarded France's highest honor, the Legion of Honor.
Robert Mapplethorpe was an American photographer, celebrated for his black-and-white photographs that captured a range of subjects including celebrity portraits, male and female nudes, self-portraits, and still-life images. Born in New York in 1946, Mapplethorpe's work is renowned for its technical precision, formal elegance, and controversial content, particularly his documentation of the gay male BDSM subculture and his erotic art. His body of work not only includes provocative themes but also more traditional subjects like flowers, showcasing his versatile artistic talent.
Robert Mapplethorpe's education at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn was foundational to his artistic journey, where he met Patti Smith and began his explorations in photography, initially through Polaroid camera use before advancing to more sophisticated techniques. His collaboration with Lisa Lyon, the first World Women's Bodybuilding Champion, and his retrospectives at significant institutions like the Whitney Museum of American Art highlight his broad artistic impact and continued influence in the art world. Despite his premature death in 1989 due to complications from AIDS, Mapplethorpe's legacy endures, supported by the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation which promotes photography and funds medical research.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Robert Mapplethorpe's work remains a testament to the power of photography as a medium of both aesthetic beauty and provocative commentary. To stay updated on sales and auction events related to Robert Mapplethorpe's works, sign up for updates to not miss out on owning a piece of this influential artist's legacy.