'I was his first model, a fact that fills me with pride. The photographs he took of me contain a depth of mutual love and trust inseparable from the image. His work magnifies his love for his subject and his obsession with light. So, as one who has stood before the camera of many artists and friends, I can only advise a photographer to love their subject, and if this is not possible, love the light that surrounds them.' - Musician and poet Patti Smith, born #OnThisDay in 1946. Patti Smith and #RobertMapplethorpe had a unique relationship: they were friends, lovers, artistic collaborators and soul mates. They met in 1967 and lived together for the next few years. Robert Mapplethorpe took many photographs of Patti Smith. He photographed her for the cover of her 1973 volume of poetry, Witt, and her album Horses in 1975, which went on to achieve iconic status. In Mapplethorpe’s photograph 'Patti Smith 1975', Smith’s pose is both vulnerable and confrontational. Mapplethorpe photographed Smith again for her fourth album, Wave in 1979. By this time she had achieved commercial and critical success and had decided to take a break from her music career. Her music on Wave reflects a new sense of calm, charm and sincerity and Mapplethorpe captures this in her portrait he took for the album’s cover. 🕊️ Happy birthday @ThisIsPattiSmith. ❤️ Robert Mapplethorpe, Patti Smith (1975) and Patti Smith (1979) ARTIST ROOMS Tate and National Galleries of Scotland © @RobertMapplethorpeFoundation