Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
American, 1903-2003
For nearly 70 years, Al Hirschfeld created iconic caricatures of theater, film and television celebrities, capturing moments in time and documenting U.S. entertainment history in the process. Art historian Lloyd Goodrich called Hirschfeld “one of the few masters of graphic humor.” "New York Times" art critic John Russell dubbed him “the Fred Astaire of pen and ink.” Brendan Gill of "The New Yorker" stated, “To be a star on Broadway is to be drawn by Hirschfeld.” And many performers believed that, regardless of any other accolades they might achieve, “if Al Hirschfeld hasn’t drawn you, you don’t exist.”
Hirschfeld began his career as a political cartoonist and became a theater caricaturist for "The New York Times" in 1925. He began creating his pure line drawings on a trip to Bali in the 1930s, and, over the course of his career, mastered the technique of using lines to capture the spirit and personality of his subjects. Hidden in each drawing is his daughter’s name, Nina, and so many people became obsessed with finding all of the Nina’s, that he developed a system of noting the number of Nina’s in each work next to his signature. In addition to "The New Yorker" and "The New York Times," Hirschfeld’s drawings appeared on playbills and posters as well as in advertisements. As a result of his work, he earned two Tony awards for lifetime achievement in theater and had a Broadway theater renamed in his honor.
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Artist: Albert Al Hirschfeld
Gwen Verdon "Redhead" Original Caricature Drawing NY Times Published Tony Awards
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
Gwen Verdon "Redhead" Original Caricature Drawing NY Times Published Tony Awards
Al Hirschfeld (1903 – 2003)
Gwen Verdon in "Redhead"
Sight: 14 1/2 x 19 inches
Ink on board
Signed l...
Category
1950s Performance Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Board, Ink
Original Judy Garland Get Happy Drawing. Legendary Star. Caricature. Not a Litho
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
Original Judy Garland Get Happy Drawing. Legendary Star. Caricature. Not a Litho.
Al Hirshfeld (1903-2003)
Judy Garland at the Palace
Ink on board, 1955
Sight: 16 1/2 x 12 3/4 inche...
Category
1950s Performance Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Board
"Let's Make an Opera" Original Drawing NYT Published, Norman Del Mar Conducts
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
"Let's Make an Opera" Original Drawing NYT Published, Norman Del Mar Conducts
Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003)
"Let's Make An Opera"
Ink on board
13 1/2 x 18 1/2, sight
Framed: 22 1/2 x 27...
Category
1950s Performance Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Board
"At Home Abroad" 1935 Broadway Play NY Times Published Illustration 20th Century
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
"At Home Abroad" 1935 Broadway Play NY Times Published Illustration 20th Century
Al Hirschfeld (1903 - 2003)
At Home Abroad
9 1/2 x 17 inches (sight)
Ink on board
Signed upper right...
Category
1930s Performance Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Board
"King & I" Orig 1951 Broadway Drawing Published NYT Tony Awards Mid 20th Century
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
"King & I" Orig 1951 Broadway Drawing Published NYT Tony Awards Mid 20th Century
Al Hirschfeld (1903 – 2003) "The King and I," 14 3/4 x 30 inches. Ink on board. Signed lower right. ...
Category
1950s Performance Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Board
"Judy Garland" Legendary Film and Recording Star. Gay Icon. 20th Century Litho
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
"Judy Garland" Legendary Film and Recording Star. Gay Icon. 20th Century Litho
Al Hirschfeld (1903 - 2003)
Judy Garland
20 x 15 inches (sight)
Etching
26 1/2 x 14 3/4 inches Framed...
Category
1970s Performance Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Board
Original TV Guide Illustration Caricature Esther Williams John Raitt Dinah Shore
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
Original TV Guide Illustration Caricature Esther Williams John Raitt Dinah Shore. Published December 25, 1957 in TV Guide as an editorial to promote the Di...
Category
1950s Performance Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Board
Mission Impossible Original TV Guide Drawing Illustration Caricature Mid Century
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
"Mission Impossible" Original TV Guide Drawing Illustration Caricature Mid Century NYC with Greg Morris, Barbara Bain, and Steve Hill. This original drawing...
Category
1960s American Modern Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Board
Sidney Poitier & Tony Curtis Oscar Winning 1958 film The Defiant Ones Caricature
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
"The Defiant Ones" Tony Curtis Sidney Poitier Oscar Winning 1958 film Caricature. Two escaped convicts chained together, one white and one black, must l...
Category
1950s Modern Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Board
Beverly Sills Opera Singer Diva Classical Music Grammys Caricature 20th Century
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
Beverly Sills Opera Singer Diva Classical Music Grammys Caricature 20th Century
Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003)
Beverly Sills
Lithograph on heavy paper, 1983
Sight: 11 1/2 x 14 inches
Sig...
Category
1980s Performance Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Lithograph
Al Hirschfeld "Beat the Band" New York Times Broadway Theatre Illustration 1940s
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003)
"Beat the Band"
22 x 26 1/2 inches
ink on board
published in The New York Times, October 11, 1942
The unframed work comes directly from the Al Hirschfeld F...
Category
1940s American Realist Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Board
Katharine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy WOMAN OF THE YEAR Oscars Classic Movie Film
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
Katharine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy WOMAN OF THE YEAR Oscars Film NYT Published
Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003)
Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy in "Woman of the Year"
Lithograph on hea...
Category
1980s Performance Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Lithograph
"Marc Chagall" Original Drawing Illustration Caricature William Saroyan book
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
"Marc Chagall" Original Drawing Illustration Caricature William Saroyan book
This drawing was published in the 1976 edition of William Saroyan's SONS ...
Category
1970s American Modern Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Board
Bette Midler Legendary Film and Recording Star. Gay Icon. 20th Century Litho
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
Bette Midler Legendary Film and Recording Star. Gay Icon. 20th Century Litho
Al Hirschfeld (1903 - 2003)
Bette Midler
15 x 11 inches (sight)
Etching
22 x 18 inches Framed
Signed an...
Category
1980s Performance Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Board
"Frank Sinatra"
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Jim's of Lambertville Fine Art Gallery is proud to present this piece by Albert Hirschfeld (1903 – 2003).
At the age of 12, Albert Hirschfeld, the famed caricaturist who depicted figures in the New York theater...
Category
1960s Other Art Style Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Ink
"Frank Sinatra and Shirley MacLaine at Radio City Music Hall"
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Jim's of Lambertville Fine Art Gallery is proud Albert Hirschfeld (1903 – 2003)
At the age of 12, Albert Hirschfeld, the famed caricaturist who depicted figures in the New York theater...
Category
1960s Other Art Style Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Ink
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Dimensions: 15.25" x 10.75"
Medium: Gouache, pencil, and ink on paper
Signature: Signed Lower Left
General Dwight D. Eisenhower in military uniform saluting before a map of Germany ...
Category
1940s Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Ink, Gouache, Graphite
Harry Truman: I'm Sitting on Top of the World
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Artwork Dimensions: 15" x 12.5"
Framed Dimensions: 24.25" x 22.5"
Medium: Gouache and ink on paper
Signature: Signed lower right
Harry Truman sits on top of a bomb with a lit fuse
...
Category
1950s Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Ink, Gouache
Al Hirschfeld "Art Week" NYC illustration New York Times poster design 1940
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
Poster design for National Art Week, November, 1940. In collaboration the Al Hirschfeld Foundation
Al Hirschfeld’s drawings stand as one of the most innovative efforts in establishi...
Category
1940s American Realist Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Mixed Media
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Interior of the Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam
Located in Paris, Île-de-France
Jan Goeree (Middelburg 1670 – Amsterdam 1731)
Interior of the Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam (c. 1724)
Red chalk for the architecture, pen and black ink, grey wash on paper
Composition reversed in preparation for engraving
25 × 17.5 cm
Watermark: Hunting horn, Churchill 318 (dated 1724)
Unsigned
Provenance
Private collection, France
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Trained in the studio of Gérard de Lairesse, Jan Goeree was among the finest Dutch engravers of the early eighteenth century, celebrated for his architectural views of Amsterdam. This drawing is a preparatory study for an engraving of the same subject now preserved in a major public collection. The final print—slightly larger—closely follows the reversed composition of this sheet.
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In the center of the Gothic nave, five bearers carry a catafalque toward a freshly dug grave—a tribute to the naval heroes often buried in the Nieuwe Kerk. This funerary motif, familiar from Dutch painting (e.g. Emanuel de Witte, 1657), evokes the vanitas theme and the transience of earthly life.
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Goeree’s use of red chalk for the architecture and ink for the figures reveals his working method: the chalk lines could be used to produce a counterproof restoring the correct orientation of the architecture, while the inked figures remained adjustable before the design was transferred to the copper plate.
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Louis Tinayre (1861-1942) An encampment of journalists, signed drawing
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An encampment of journalists in Chambéry,
signed and titled lower left "Campement de journalistes à Chambéry"
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21 x 29 cm
Framed : 33.7 x 45.5 cm
Louis Tinayre's background and adventurous life obviously inform this humorous and detailed scene. He demonstrates a remarkable sense of observation, capturing this scene of extraordinary life like a journalistic illustrator.
A contributor, to whom I'd like to express my sincere thanks, sheds important light on the nature of this scene.
It appears that this drawing is the draft for an illustration published in “Le Monde illustré” of August 4, 1888 (page 77), to accompany the article “Épilogue du voyage présidentiel” (Epilogue to the presidential trip) - president Sadi Carnot- en Savoie et en Dauphiné (p. 74), which ends with: “As a picturesque note, we enclose an improvised journalists' dormitory in Chambéry, where our colleagues deeply regretted the comfort of the special train”.
As a quasi-ethnographic observer, Tinayre's interest lies in the journalists' camp, which he turns into a tender, comical scene. We understand him better when we know that he may have been similarly fascinated by the territories of Madagascar, the North Pole or the Far West that he painted and drew.
Louis Tinayre was born on 14 March 1861 in Neuilly-sur-Seine. His mother, Victoire Tinayre, was a teacher and a member of the International Workers' Association.
Louis was the son of a Communard couple. His father, Jean Joseph, known as Jules Tinayre (Issoire 1821 - Paris 1871) was shot during the Bloody Week. His mother, Victoire Tinayre, fled with her children. Louis was the first to be sent to Hungary, and the rest of the family (including his brother Julien) joined him there later. He studied Fine Arts at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in Budapest.
Returning to Paris in 1880 (after the amnesty), Louis Tinayre assiduously frequented Le Chat noir, where he met the positivists and Adèle Jacomet (Buenos Aires 1867-1946), whom he married in 1888.
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He returned to Madagascar in 1898 to prepare the creation of a giant panorama representing the surrender of Antananarivo in 1895. The Malagasy pavilion at the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris allowed him to admire the dioramas (on the ground floor) and the panorama (on the first floor).
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Albert Al Hirschfeld figurative drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Albert Al Hirschfeld figurative drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Albert Al Hirschfeld in ink, board, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Albert Al Hirschfeld figurative drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 14 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Reginald Marsh, Alfred Bendiner, and Irene Pattinson. Albert Al Hirschfeld figurative drawings and watercolors prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $9,500 and tops out at $75,000, while the average work can sell for $15,000.
Questions About Albert Al Hirschfeld Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
- 1stDibs ExpertJanuary 19, 2025Al Hirschfeld was famous for his work as an artist. For nearly 70 years, he created iconic caricatures of theater, film and television celebrities, capturing moments in time and documenting U.S. entertainment history in the process. His drawings appeared on playbills and posters as well as in advertisements. As a result of his work, he earned two Tony awards for lifetime achievement in theater and had a Broadway theater renamed in his honor. Explore a range of Al Hirschfeld art on 1stDibs.