Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003) was an American illustrator best known for his black-and-white caricatures of major entertainment figures of the 20th century, notably Hollywood celebrities and Broadway stars. Readers of the New York Times before it began printing in color would be well acquainted with Hirschfeld, who contributed to the newspaper for more than seven decades. His work also appeared in other major publications including The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and many others.
From September 10 through November 2, Helicline Fine Art is hosting an expansive exhibition of Hirschfeld’s work, including roughly 50 original drawings and lithographs depicting Broadway, Hollywood, TV, music and comedy personalities. Hirschfeld: Strokes of Genius is viewable on the New York gallery’s website and in person by appointment.
Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003), Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Lithograph on heavy paper, 1989, 22 x 17 in., signed and numbered 89/175 lower right.
“Hirschfeld was beloved among the artists he drew and the plays, musicals, films they created,” says gallery owner Keith Sherman. He was also greatly respected and admired.
In the words of playwright Arthur Miller, “Hirschfeld’s pen and ink were as dramatic as any playwright’s words or director’s staging.” And Stephen Sondheim: “Hirschfeld’s drawings possessed ‘those heightened but elusive qualities that only firsthand memory confers.’”
“Writers, actors, directors, designers and more would seek him out for his views on life and art,” continues Sherman. “A writer typically seeks an economy of words in a manner similar to the few lines that flowed from Hirschfeld’s hands for each drawing. A few lines, like a few potent words, can make quite an impact.”
Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003), Cabaret with Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey. Etching with aquatint, 13¾ x 9¾ in., signed and numbered 111/150 lower left.
Hirschfeld was known for his restraint and purity of black line, which he laid down using a genuine crow quill. David Leopold, creative director at the Al Hirschfeld Foundation, says, “Al Hirschfeld’s drawings stand as one of the most innovative efforts in establishing the visual language of modern art through caricature in the 20th century. A self described ‘characterist,’ his signature work, defined by a linear calligraphic style, appeared in virtually every major publication over nine decades, as well as numerous book and record covers and 15 postage stamps. He came up during a vogue for caricature in the 1920s and within in a few years literally defined the genre. His work continues to be emulated, admired and sometimes copied by a wide variety of artists, particularly in the field of animation where Hirschfeld is studied for both how he imbues the character in his line and how he makes one drawing seem to move more than animators can do in 24 frames.”
Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003), Barbra Streisand “Belle of 14th Street”. Etching with aquatint, 13½ x 9¾ in., signed lower right, numbered 10/150 lower left.
This exhibition and the artwork in it also holds personal significance for Sherman, who grew up in the suburbs of New York and remembers excitedly waiting for the Sunday New York Times to arrive so he could flip to the theater section, which usually had a Hirschfeld on the cover, so he could “count the Ninas.” (In 1945, Hirschfeld celebrated the birth of his daughter Nina by placing her name in the background of a drawing. What the artist described as an innocent prank soon became a personal trademark and national obsession, as he began hiding numerous NINA’s throughout his drawings for years.)
Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003), Stephen Sondheim. Lithograph on paper, 21 x 15 in., signed lower right, numbered AP XI / XV lower left. Published in the New York Times, April 15, 1977.
As a young press agent, Sherman remembers handing production shots of shows to Mr. Hirschfeld at the front door of his pink Manhattan townhouse. And in 1988, he began handling Hirschfeld’s personal PR, from his 85th birthday until his death 15 years later. One of Sherman’s most treasured works of art is the drawing Hirschfeld did of him and his husband Roy, but he has many favorites in his collection.
“There is one lithograph hanging in my office now, Legends, starring Mary Martin and Carol Channing, which I love,” says Sherman. “There are drawings in the exhibition of so many beloved stars in so many iconic shows and films. When you think of Elvis or Cher or Lucy or Sinatra or Judy or Streisand or the Marx Brothers, or Astaire, the simple lines of a Hirschfeld often come to mind before a photograph. Hirschfeld’s art moves me as deeply today as it did when I first discovered it as a teenager.”
Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003), Carol Channing in “Hello Dolly”. Lithograph on heavy paper, 12½ x 9½ in., signed lower right, numbered 115/150 lower left.
Hirschfeld: Strokes of Genius coincides with the release of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation’s new book, Hirschfeld’s Sondheim, which will be published by Harry Abrams Comic Arts on September 9. This is the first volume in a series of oversized Hirschfeld poster books, and contains more than 50 drawings of Sondheim, and his best knows musicals, plays and films. —
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