The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens will present Don Bachardy: A Life in Portraits, a major retrospective celebrating the life and legacy of renowned Los Angeles portrait artist Don Bachardy. Opening April 12 and running through August 4, 2025, at the MaryLou and George Boone Gallery, the exhibition features more than 100 works—many never before shown—spanning over seven decades.
An Artistic Chronicle of a Life Lived Among Icons
Best known for his expressive graphite and acrylic portraits, Bachardy has depicted literary legends, Hollywood stars, and everyday individuals with an eye for emotional depth. His subjects include Truman Capote, Bette Davis, David Hockney, and long-time partner Christopher Isherwood, whose archive Bachardy entrusted to The Huntington in 1999.
“Bachardy’s portraits provide visitors with a view of Los Angeles through his eyes,” said Karla Nielsen, co-curator and senior curator of literary collections at The Huntington. “Over 70 years he has documented friends, strangers, and cultural luminaries.”
Exhibition Highlights: Portraits, Letters, and Legacy
Curated by Dennis Carr, Karla Nielsen, and guest curator Gregory Evans, the exhibition will be organized both chronologically and thematically. Alongside portraits, the show will feature letters, photographs, and snapshots of Bachardy’s early years—some captured at movie premieres with stars like Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart.
A notable section of the exhibit will focus on Bachardy’s creative and romantic partnership with Isherwood, with letters and collaborative projects such as October on display. Visitors can trace Bachardy’s stylistic evolution from stark monochrome drawings to vivid, color-drenched pieces created in single sittings.
The Huntington’s Enduring Relationship with Bachardy
The Huntington has long supported Bachardy’s work through exhibitions, programming, and the Isherwood-Bachardy Lecture Series. A sneak peek of a new documentary by Tina Mascara is also planned, along with a lecture by Edward Mendelson of Columbia University on April 23, 2025.
The institution previously honored Bachardy in 2014 at its inaugural An Evening Among the Roses, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
Exhibition Catalog and Programs
A fully illustrated catalog, Don Bachardy: A Life in Portraits, will accompany the exhibition, available starting April 12 at The Huntington Store and online. The publication includes essays by Gregory Evans, Simon Callow, and others.
About the Artist
Born in 1934, Don Bachardy studied at Chouinard Art Institute and Slade School of Art. He held his first solo exhibition in 1961 and has since been exhibited in major museums, including the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His published works span nine books, chronicling both artistic technique and his personal life.
Location and Visitor Info
The Huntington is located at 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA—just 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles. For more information, visit huntington.org.
