Charles BRAGG (1931 - 2017), The campers, 1977

etching, heavy cotton paper, plate imprint: 30 x 22.5 cm, sheet: 37.5 x 33 cm; numbered 100/300 titled "The Campers" and signed in pencil by the author under the composition "Charles Bragg".

The work depicts "thrifty" Americans who have built a tourist camper out of wooden logs and are camping in an unauthorized area beneath Ludwig II's famous fairytale castle at Neuschwanstein in Bavaria.

Neuschwanstein Castle was the prototype for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle and the setting for films including Helmut Käutner's 1955 and Luchino Visconti's. The castle has also inspired artists, including Andy Warhol, who made it the subject of his pop art painting "Neuschwanstein."

Charles Bragg (1931 - January 9, 2017) was an American sculptor, painter, artist and author best known for his satirical artwork. Before taking up art, Bragg worked as a cowboy, truck driver and stand-up comedian. He eventually settled in California, where he began his art career. He began by painting portraits of wealthy families. He showed them with humor in a satirical style. His work, which often exposed the flaws of American society. His political views are presented in his works. Bragg described himself as "a dedicated researcher of the human race" and "an observer."
Bragg's work has been seen in museums and exhibitions around the world, and his work has been commissioned by Playboy magazine. In 1986, the PBS station made a documentary about him entitled "Charles Bragg - one of a kind." One of Bragg's lithographs, "The Screen Goddess," features prominently in the opening scene of Robert Altman's 1992 film "The Player."