Players Dracula Primero
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph (stone) in black on Magnani Italia paper
Dimensions
image: 12.5 x 12 cm (4 15/16 x 4 3/4 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
1983.18.271
Art Historical Context
Billy Al Bengston's *Players Dracula Primero* (1968) is a captivating small-scale lithograph that exemplifies the artist's innovative engagement with printmaking during California's dynamic 1960s art scene. Bengston, a prominent figure in the West Coast "Cool School" associated with the Ferus Gallery, often drew from everyday motifs like motorcycles and flowers, infusing them with a sleek, lacquered aesthetic. Here, the title evokes playing cards—"Players"—with a gothic twist in "Dracula Primero," hinting at the historical card game *primero* and vampire lore, blending pop culture with subtle ...
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 ...