Untitled

Alexander Bogardy, Untitled, ca. 1960-1970, graphite and colored pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Margaret Parsons, 2016.36.22
Copied Alexander Bogardy, Untitled, ca. 1960-1970, graphite and colored pencil on paper, sheet: 11 × 14 in. (27.9 × 35.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Margaret Parsons, 2016.36.22

Artwork Details

Title
Untitled
Date
ca. 1960-1970
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet: 11 × 14 in. (27.9 × 35.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Margaret Parsons
Mediums Description
graphite and colored pencil on paper
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure — fragment — hand
  • Figure female — bust
  • Dress — accessory — makeup
  • Object — written matter
  • Recreation — leisure — grooming
Object Number
2016.36.22

Artwork Description

Alexander Bogardy, a native of Hungary, spent most of his life in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC. In the 1960s and 1970s Bogardy became a prolific artist, a period bracketed by a remarkably eclectic array of careers and interests spanning music and dance, prizefighting, mechanical engineering, and cosmetology. A devout Catholic, religion was a central element of Bogardy's life as well as his art. His sense of ritual permeated his personal life, and he was passionate about helping women look beautiful--both for themselves and for God. He made numerous highly detailed drawings, with handwritten explanatory text about hair design, skin care, and makeup application to flatter every facial shape.