Don Bachardy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don Bachardy
|
|
|---|---|
Bachardy in 2004
|
|
| Born |
Donald Jess Bachardy
May 18, 1934 Los Angeles, California, US
|
| Known for | Portrait artist |
| Partner(s) | Christopher Isherwood (1953–1986, Isherwood's death) |
Donald Jess Bachardy (born May 18, 1934) is a famous American portrait artist. He is known for drawing and painting many well-known people. He lives in Santa Monica, California. Bachardy had a very close relationship with the writer Christopher Isherwood for over 30 years.
Contents
Early Life and Studies
Don Bachardy was born in Los Angeles, California. He studied art at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. He also went to the Slade School of Art in London, England. His very first art show was in London in October 1961.
He met the writer Christopher Isherwood on Valentine's Day in 1953. Don was 18 years old, and Christopher was 48. They stayed together until Christopher passed away in 1986. You can see Don's pencil portraits of Christopher on the covers of some of Christopher's books. A movie about their relationship, called Chris & Don: A Love Story, came out in 2008.
Don Bachardy's Art Work
_-_1954_foto_Van_Vechten.jpg)
Don Bachardy has shown his art in many cities. These include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, and New York City. He also had an exhibition at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, in 2004 and 2005.
His artwork is kept in important art collections. These include the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. You can also find his pieces at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco. Other places include the Huntington Library and Art Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Six books have been published that show his artwork. A film about his life and art, called The Eyes of Don Bachardy, was made by Terry Sanders. Don also worked with Christopher Isherwood on a story called Frankenstein: The True Story in 1973. His book Stars in My Eyes (published in 2000) became very popular. It features portraits of famous people he had painted. Another collection, "Last Drawings of Christopher Isherwood," shows drawings of Christopher in his later years.
One of Don Bachardy's most famous works is the official portrait of Jerry Brown. Jerry Brown was the governor of California. This portrait hangs in the California State Capitol Museum.
Don Bachardy also appeared in the movie A Single Man. This movie was based on a book by Christopher Isherwood. Don played a professor in the film. He shared that the book's idea came from a difficult time in his and Christopher's relationship.
Personal Life
Don Bachardy still lives in the home he shared with Christopher Isherwood in Santa Monica. He has lived there for over 50 years. He continues to paint portraits for art shows and for people who ask him to.
In January 2010, he had a show of his self-portraits. These were drawings he made of himself from 1959 to 2009. In 2011, he showed portraits of artists from Southern California. These included Peter Alexander and Ed Ruscha. A collector from New York bought all 33 paintings.
Books by Don Bachardy
- Frankenstein: The True Story. 1973 (with Christopher Isherwood)
- Don Bachardy: Drawings. 1973
- October / O. 1983 (with Christopher Isherwood)
- One Hundred Drawings. 1983
- 70 × 1 Drawings. 1983
- Christopher Isherwood: Last drawings. 1990
- Short cuts: the screenplay. 1993 (with Robert Altmann, Frank Barhydt)
- Observant Eye: Portrait Drawings By Don Bachardy. 1996
- The Portrait. 1997 (with Gloria Stuart)
- Stars In My Eyes. 2000
- The Animals: Love Letters Between Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy. 2014
- Hollywood. 2014
Films Featuring Don Bachardy
- Frankenstein: The True Story (TV Movie 1972 – writer)
- The Rose Tattoo (1955 – small role as a passenger)
- Rich and Famous (1981 – Malibu Party Guest)
- Luck, Trust & Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country (1993 documentary – himself)
- Chris & Don: A Love Story (2007 documentary – himself)
- Finding Lee Mullican (2008 documentary – himself)
- Huxley on Huxley (2009 documentary – himself)
- A Single Man (2009 film – professor)
- Christopher and His Kind (2011 TV movie – consultant)
- Hockney (2014 documentary – himself)
- Truman Capote: Enfant Terrible Der Amerikanischen Literatur (2016 TV Movie documentary – himself)
Images for kids
-
Bachardy in 2004
-
Bachardy, photographed by Carl Van Vechten in 1954
