Billy the Kid was a rascal, not necessarily a good guy, but someone who helped to create the notion of an young anti-hero rebel that helped to forge characters like James Dean and icons of Rock n’ Roll. Famously good looking, but also a louch, he was sugar daddied into the West, and saught revenge against those who wronged his mentor. Getting more into trouble, he shot someone in defense who was trying to have his way with him, and in general, acted like a prototypical gay, wanna be good, gangsta of the West. This image is from one of the few darragotypes taken of him, almost to scale with the original, with the Kid looking dapper and the photographers assistant holding a reflective mirror to help illuminate the scene. I’ve always wanted to paint this picture, although Billy scares me a bit for being such a rogue, but in some ways he is like a Western Rimbaud, and like in the movies, in my picture I romantize all that be good from him.