Players Dracula Quinto
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph (stone) in black on Magnani Italia paper
Dimensions
sheet: 13.8 x 13.3 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
1983.18.275
Art Historical Context
Billy Al Bengston's *Players Dracula Quinto*1968) is a captivating small-scale lithograph, measuring just 13.8 x 13.3 cm, printed in bold black ink on luxurious Magnani Italia paper. during the vibrant late-1960s Los Angeles art scene, this print reflects Bengston's playful fusion of Pop Art influences and West Coast "Finish Fetish" aesthetics. for his sleek, lacquered paintings of irises and chevronsoften on shaped aluminum surfaces—Bengston here channels a sense of cool detachment and graphic precision, evoking playing cards or poker motifs with a whimsical "Dracula" twist in the title. Lit...
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 ...