Players Dracula Noveno
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View on museum website →Medium
lithograph (stone) in black on Magnani Italia paper
Dimensions
sheet: 13.8 x 13.4 cm (5 7/16 x 5 1/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Dorothy J. and Benjamin B. Smith
Accession Number
1983.18.279
Art Historical Context
Billy Al Bengston's *Players Dracula Noveno* (1968) is a striking black lithograph on luxurious Magnani Italia paper, measuring a intimate 13.8 x 13.4 cm. Created using traditional stone lithography—a technique Bengston mastered for its rich tonal range and directness—this print exemplifies the artist's playful fusion of pop culture motifs and West Coast cool. Part of his renowned "Players" series, it draws from playing card imagery, infusing the everyday with enigmatic flair, here evoked by the cryptic "Dracula Noveno" title, suggesting a ninth edition or nod to gothic intrigue. As a leading...
About the Artist
Billy Al Bengston
Billy Al Bengston, born on June 7, 1934, in Dodge City, Kansas, embodied the sun-soaked, rebellious spirit of postwar Los Angeles after his family relocated there in 1948. His artistic training began at Los Angeles City College in 1952, where he studied ceramics under Bernard Kester. He then pursued painting under Richard Diebenkorn and Saburo Hasegawa at the California College of Arts and Crafts ...