Don Bachardy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Don Bachardy
Bachardy in 2004
Born	Donald Jess Bachardy (1934-05-18) May 18, 1934 (age 91) 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 artist known for his amazing portraits. A portrait is a painting, drawing, or photograph of a person. He lives in Santa Monica, California. For over 30 years, Bachardy was the partner of the well-known writer Christopher Isherwood.

Early Life and Career

Don Bachardy was born in Los Angeles, California. He loved art from a young age and went to study at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. He also studied at the Slade School of Art in London, England.

In 1953, when he was 18, he met the writer Christopher Isherwood, who was 48. They became lifelong companions and stayed together until Isherwood passed away in 1986. Their close relationship was the subject of a 2008 movie called Chris & Don: A Love Story.

Bachardy had his very first solo art show in London in 1961. His drawings of Isherwood were often used for the covers of Isherwood's books.

A Career in Art

Bachardy in a 1954 photograph taken by Carl Van Vechten.

Bachardy became a very successful artist. He had many art shows, called exhibitions, in big cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City. His art is so important that it is part of the main collections of famous museums.

Where to See His Work

You can find Bachardy's art in some of the world's best museums, including:

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
• The M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco
• The Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery in California
• The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
• The National Portrait Gallery in London

One of his most famous paintings is the official portrait of former California governor Jerry Brown. This painting hangs in the California State Capitol Museum.

Books and Films

Bachardy's 2025 exhibition at the Huntington Library Museum & Gardens.

Bachardy has published several books of his artwork. His 2000 book, Stars in My Eyes, was about the famous people he painted. It became a bestseller in Los Angeles. He also worked with Christopher Isherwood on the script for the movie Frankenstein: The True Story (1973).

In 2009, Bachardy appeared in the movie A Single Man. The film was based on a book by Isherwood. Bachardy played a professor in one scene. He once explained that Isherwood got the idea for the book when they were going through a difficult time in their relationship. Isherwood imagined what his life would be like without Bachardy.

In April 2025, a large exhibition of Bachardy's work opened at the Huntington Library. It was called Don Bachardy: A Life in Portraits and showed over 100 of his artworks from his long career.

Later Life

Don Bachardy still lives in the Santa Monica home he shared with Isherwood for many years. He continues to paint portraits for art galleries and for people who hire him. He has held many exhibitions in recent years, showing his self-portraits and paintings of other artists from Southern California.

Selected Works

• Frankenstein: The True Story (1973) (with Christopher Isherwood)
• October / O. (1983) (with Christopher Isherwood)
• Christopher Isherwood: Last drawings (1990)
• Stars In My Eyes (2000)
• The Animals: Love Letters Between Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy (2014)
• Hollywood (2014)

See Also

• Peter Parker, Isherwood: A Life (2004).
• Lee Prosser, Isherwood, Bowles, Vedanta, Wicca, and Me, (2001), ISBN: 0-595-20284-5.