Viking Dracula
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph (aluminum and zinc) in silver-violet, yellow, two grays and orange on uncalendered Rives paper
Dimensions
sheet: 29.5 x 27.4 cm (11 5/8 x 10 13/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Dorothy J. and Benjamin B. Smith
Accession Number
1983.18.243
Art Historical Context
**Viking Dracula**, a vibrant 1968 lithograph by Billy Bengston, captures the spirit of Los Angeles' vibrant art scene during the late 1960s. Printed on uncalenderedives paper—a textured, heavyweight stock favored for its ability to hold bold inks—this work measures a compact 29.5 x 27.4 cm. Bengston, a key figure in California's "Cool School" and Finish Fetish movements, employed aluminum and zinc plates to layer silver-violet, yellow, twoays, and orange, creating a dynamic interplay of color and form that echoes his signature iris motifs and chevron patterns. Lithography allowed Bengston to...
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 ...