Flavorwire's 10 Most Influential Artist's Muses Featuring David LaChapelle and Amanda Lepore

by Paul Laster

Throughout history, artists have been inspired by the presence of certain other people in their lives that motivated them to create their best work. The source of inspiration could be a man, a woman, or even a pet, but it is almost always a being that also possesses great talent and an expressive imagination. From the model for Édouard Manet’s Olympia and Pablo Picasso’s mistress in the heyday of surrealism to Francis Bacon’s drunken pal and David LaChapelle’s doll-face girlfriend, we’ve uncovered the most influential muses of modern times.



A model, actress, and nightclub hostess, Amanda Lepore was born a boy, but had a gender reassignment surgery while still a teenager. David LaChapelle met his oft-photographed muse and social companion at New York’s famous Bowery Bar in 2000. The subject of his editorial and ad campaigns, trippy art photos, and gallery installations, Lepore has become one of the most recognized faces of the New York underground.