The Art of Husbandry

13.jpg

In 1974, Los Angeles–based artist Bachardy (Stars in My Eyes, Last Drawings of Christopher Isherwood) was commissioned by director Bryan Forbes to create what turned out to be an extraordinary series of portraits of the actresses from the 1974 cult film. They’re reproduced here for the first time, along with the artist’s equally compelling recollections of the sittings and his time spent on the film’s set in Connecticut.

Don Bachardy is an American portrait artist. His portraits are in the collections of London’s National Portrait Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian Institution, among others. He has published six books of his work, including October (with his late partner Christopher Isherwood), One Hundred Drawings, 70x1, Last Drawings of Christopher Isherwood, and Stars in My Eyes. His work has been exhibited at venues around the world, including the Cheim & Read Gallery and White Columns in New York City. He lives in Santa Monica, California.