Robert Polidori

Biography

Robert Polidori is renowned for his meticulous large-format photography, which captures the intricate details of architecture, interiors, and the passage of time. With a career spanning over four decades, Polidori’s work is celebrated for its ability to document both the grandeur and decay of significant cultural landmarks. His photographs often explore the complex relationship between space and history, capturing moments of transformation and degradation in environments ranging from palaces and mansions to post-disaster sites.  Polidori’s images are known for their extraordinary depth, clarity, and precision, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the textures and details of each scene.

 

In his renowned series documenting the restoration of the Palace of Versailles, Polidori delves into the ways in which history is both preserved and reinterpreted. The series captures the painstaking restoration work taking place within the iconic French palace, revealing the laborious process of reconstructing historical interiors to evoke a specific narrative of the past. Through his lens, Polidori examines how the restoration process itself becomes a performance—where history is staged, manipulated, and carefully curated. His photographs highlight the tension between authenticity and artistic intervention, offering a meditation on the complex interplay of memory, artifice, and the politics of historical representation. Polidori’s work also includes powerful visual records of other significant historical moments, such as the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Chernobyl, exploring the profound cultural and emotional significance embedded in each location and its buildings.

 

Polidori’s work has been exhibited internationally in renowned museums and galleries, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York; the Getty Museum in Los Angeles; and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Edwynn Houk Gallery has represented Polidori since 2012.

Works
  • Christian Dior blazer and skirt on bust in Dior Montaigne Ave flagship during reconstruction by Robert Polidori
    Robert Polidori
    Christian Dior, Bar Ensemble, Haute Couture Spring-Summer 1947, 2022
  • Framed photograph of Versailles hallway in travertine with sculptures and checkered marble floor by Robert Polidori
    Robert Polidori
    Galerie Basse Enfilade Situation #1, Versailles, 2018
  • Maria Grazia Chiuri design strapless dress on bust next to spools of electric cable at Dior flagship at 30 Montaigne Ave in Paris by Robert Polidori
    Robert Polidori
    Maria Grazia Chiuri, Essence d'Herbier Dress, Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2017, 2022
  • Robert Polidori, Portrait of Marie-Antoinette de Lorraine-Habsbourg, by Jean-Bapiste Charpentier, 1er Antichambre du Dauphin, (33A)CCE.01.034, Corps Central - RdC, Versailles, 2007
    Robert Polidori
    Portrait of Marie-Antoinette de Lorraine-Habsbourg, by Jean-Bapiste Charpentier, 1er Antichambre du Dauphin, (33A)CCE.01.034, Corps Central - RdC, Versailles, 2007
  • Raf Simons strapless design dress on bust at Dior flagship at 30 Montaigne Ave in Paris by Robert Polidori
    Robert Polidori
    Raf Simons, Look 47, Haute Couture Autumn-Winter 2012, 2022
  • Robert Polidori, Salle de Crimée Sud, (98)ANR.02.035, Salles de l’Afrique, Aile du Nord - 1er Etage, Versailles
    Robert Polidori
    Salle de Crimée Sud, (98)ANR.02.035, Salles de l’Afrique, Aile du Nord - 1er Etage, Versailles, 2007
  • Salle de Bain de Marie-Antoinette, (33B)CCE.01.038, Corps Central, RdC, Versailles
    Robert Polidori
    Salle de Bain de Marie-Antoinette, (33B)CCE.01.038, Corps Central, RdC, Versailles, 2005
  • Salle la cour, (9) ANR.01.009, Salles du XVII, Aile du Nord - R.d.C
    Robert Polidori
    Salle la cour, (9) ANR.01.009, Salles du XVII, Aile du Nord - R.d.C, 2006
  • Salles du XVIIIeme, Enfilade, Versailles, painting of woman with portrait by Robert Polidori
    Robert Polidori
    Salles du XVIIIeme, Enfilade, Versailles, 2018
  • Salon des Glaes, Grand Trianon, Versailles with empty easel by Robert Polidori
    Robert Polidori
    Salon des Glaces, Grand Trianon, Versailles, 1988
  • Señora Faxas Residence, Miramar, Havana, No. 1
    Robert Polidori
    Señora Faxas Residence, Miramar, Havana, No. 1, 1997
  • Señora Faxas Residence, Miramar, Havana, No. 2
    Robert Polidori
    Señora Faxas Residence, Miramar, Havana, No. 2, 1997
  • Escalier de Provence AMI.04.013, Attique du Midi, Aile du Midi, Attique, Versailles
    Robert Polidori
    Escalier de Provence AMI.04.013, Attique du Midi, Aile du Midi, Attique, Versailles, 2005
  • Bassins des Saisons, L’Hiver ou Saturne by Giarardon, Versailles
    Robert Polidori
    Bassins des Saisons, L’Hiver ou Saturne by Giarardon, Versailles, 1985
  • Cabinet Interieur de Mme Adelaide #2, (56C)CCE.01.058, Corps Central - RdC, Versailles
    Robert Polidori
    Cabinet Interieur de Mme Adelaide #2, (56C)CCE.01.058, Corps Central - RdC, Versailles, 1986
  • photograph of bustling Dashashwemedh Road in Varanasi, India by Robert Polidori
    Robert Polidori
    Dashashwemedh Road, Varanasi, India, 2007
  • Déambulatoire de la Chapelle Royale, Tribune Nord, ANR.02.018, Aile du Nord - 1er Etage, Versailles
    Robert Polidori
    Déambulatoire de la Chapelle Royale, Tribune Nord, ANR.02.018, Aile du Nord - 1er Etage, Versailles, 2005
  • Escalier de l’Opera Royal, ANR.02.066, AIle du Nord - RdC, Versailles
    Robert Polidori
    Escalier de l’Opera Royal, ANR.02.066, AIle du Nord - RdC, Versailles, 1985
  • Room in Havana painted pink with blue sofa and chandelier
    Robert Polidori
    Alfonso Family Residence, 6 #152 (at the Corner Of Calzada), Vedado, 1997
  • Room in Havana painted blue with mirror and pink room visible through doorway
    Robert Polidori
    House of Amelia Peláez, Estrada Palma 261 (Between Juan Bruno Zayas and Concejal Veiga), Vibora, 1997
Exhibitions
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