Players Dracula Octavo
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph (stone) in black on Magnani Italia paper
Dimensions
image: 11.2 x 9 cm (4 7/16 x 3 9/16 in.) sheet: 13.9 x 13.3 cm (5 1/2 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
1983.18.278
Art Historical Context
**Players Dracula Octavo** (1968) by Billy Bengston is a diminutive yet striking lithograph, printed in bold black ink on fine Magnani Italia paper. just 11.2 x 9 cm for the image and slightly larger for the sheet, this intimate print invites visitors to lean in close, revealing the subtle textures achievable through traditional stone lithography—a technique Bengston employed for its rich, velvety tones and precise detail. Created during the vibrant printmaking renaissance of the late 196s, when artists explored affordable multiples amid pop culture's rise, the work's playful title hints at a...
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 ...