Players Dracula Undecimo
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph (stone) in black on Magnani Italia paper
Dimensions
image: 6.4 x 7.9 cm (2 1/2 x 3 1/8 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
1983.18.281
Art Historical Context
**Players Dracula Undecimo**1968) is a striking lithograph by Billy Al Beng, a key figure in California's "Cool School" of the 1960s. Printed in black ink on fine Magnani Italia paper—a premium Italian rag known for its texture and durability—this intimate work measures just 6.4 x 7.9 cm for the image, inviting close inspection like a whispered secret. Created using traditional stone lithography, a technique Bengston mastered for its precision and tonal range, it exemplifies the era's blend of Pop Art playfulness and West Coast minimalism. The enigmatic title, evoking playing cards ("Players"...
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 ...