Skip to main content

Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait 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.
to
1
5
4
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
11
3
1
3
3
4
1
6
4
1
9
9
7
5
4
4
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
9
7
2
2
105
188
72
60
51
9
11
Artist: Albert Al Hirschfeld
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 "All Star Variety" Garland at the Palace Ink on board, 1955 Sight: 16...
Category

1950s Performance Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Board

Original (unique) Self portrait drawing, hand signed ink on paper letter, Framed
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
Al Hirschfeld Original (unique) Self portrait drawing, 1976 Hand signed ink drawing, on typewritten letter with envelope Hand signed in Hirschfel...
Category

1970s Modern Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Paper

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 Portrait 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 Portrait 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 Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Lithograph

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 Portrait 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 Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Lithograph

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 Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Board

"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 Portrait 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 Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Board

"Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman, and Eva Marie Saint"
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Ashley John is proud to offer this artwork by: Albert Hirschfeld (1903 - 2003) Albert Hirschfeld is known for his pen and ink personality caricatures of theatre people. He worked a...
Category

20th Century Abstract Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

Related Items
"Self Portrait Conte Sketch" rare Ben Fenske work on paper - academic study
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A colorful self-portrait from Ben Fenske, staring at the viewer straight-on. Hues of red dominate. Unframed. Ben Fenske (b. 1978) although a native of Minnesota, and has been worki...
Category

Early 2000s Academic Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Conté

Untitled (Rabbi Scholar)
By Seymour Rosenthal
Located in New York, NY
Seymour Rosenthal (American 1921-2007) "Untitled: Rabbi Scholar", Figurative Pen/Watercolor on Paper signed in bottom right hand corner, 10.50 x 8 (24 x 20.50 In Frame), Late 20th Ce...
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Pen

Portrait of a Young Man - Drawing by Valentine Hugo - Mid 20th century
By Valentine Hugo
Located in Roma, IT
Portrait of a Young Man is a Pencil Drawing realized by Valentine Hugo (1890-1968). Good condition on a yellowed paper included a white cardboard passp...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pencil

Argentinian Tango, Mixed Media Abstract Expressionist
Located in Soquel, CA
Argentinian Tango, Mixed Media Abstract Expressionist An abstract portrait in cool pastels accented in vibrant yellow and pink and lined in ink, by California-based artist, Ricardo de Silva (American). Paper size: 17.75"H x 12"W From a collection of Ricardo de Silva's work and memorabilia. DeSilva was born in Brazil and grew up in Los Angeles. He was a gallery owner, first in Santa Barbara in the 1960's and 70's, then in San Jose in the 1980's. He was dedicated to promoting the work of talented upcoming artists, including Kogyo and Hasui Kiyochika, Robert Frame, Jim Stuckenberg, Alice Robertson Carr, Deborah Eve Alastra...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Gouache, Ink, Watercolor

Abstract Expressionist Watercolor Portrait
By Howard Margolis
Located in Soquel, CA
Abstract expressionist portrait of a colorful face by Berkeley artist Howard Margolis (American, 1927-2015). Unsigned, with “Howard Margolis” on verso. Presented unframed, in a paste...
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Abstract Expressionist Watercolor Portrait
Abstract Expressionist Watercolor Portrait
$552 Sale Price
35% Off
H 13.25 in W 10 in D 0.125 in
Klimt Tattoo, disrupted realism charcoal acrylic on Strathmore paper red, tan
By Audrey Anastasi
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Charcoal, acrylic mixed media As a feminist artist, Audrey Anastasi's first commitment is to painting other women, the human face, and figure. Whether working with figurative descri...
Category

2010s Neo-Expressionist Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Hermes 1929
Located in Stockholm, SE
An interesting and highly decorative chalk drawing by Edvard Andersson, 1929. Drawn on a quite large scale. Signed and dated EA, 1929. A tergo written "Hermes". The drawing is exec...
Category

1920s Cubist Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Chalk

Hermes 1929
Hermes 1929
$2,610
H 26.19 in W 20.08 in D 0.79 in
A 1946 Mid-Century Modern Surrealist Male Portrait Study, Binocular Vision
By Harold Haydon
Located in Chicago, IL
A 1946 Mid-Century Modern Surrealist Male Portrait Study by Noted Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A compelling portrait study, perhaps a self portrait of the artist,...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

Cuban Artist - Caricature of Adolphe Menjou Debonair Devil
Located in Miami, FL
Framed Cuban Artist/Caricaturist Conrado Walter Massaguer presents Hollywood star Adolphe Menjou in a satirical dual portrait. In the foreground, the subject is seen in a dapper top hat, tux, fashionable cigarette and boutonnière, and is shown as being the epitome of being stylishly debonair. To make a larger point about this subject, Massaguer paints a cast shadow of Menjou as a burning red devil who studies his alter ego from above. Keeping with the artist's sarcasm, we see the good and bad in one image. Works by Massaguer are rare and this work is in keeping with his signature style. This work was most likely done on assignment for Life Magazine, Cosmopolitan, The New Yorker or Vanity Fair. Signed upper right. Inscribe lower right. Titled on verso. Unframed, Slight bend to board; toning to board; scattered faint foxing; pin point abrasions to margins, not affecting image. 19-1/2 x 15-1/8 inches board size. Conrado Walter Massaguer y Diaz was a Cuban artist, political satirist, and magazine publisher. He is considered a student of the Art Nouveau. He was the first caricaturist in the world to broadcast his art on television.He was first caricaturist to exhibit on Fifth Avenue. He was the first caricaturist in the world to exhibit his caricatures on wood. He, and his brother Oscar, were the first magazine publishers in the world to use photolithographic printing. Self portrait of Conrado Walter Massaguer, depicted on a carrousel ride, with the devil over his left shoulder and an angel over his right. (1945) He created the magazine Social with his brother Oscar to showcase Cuban artistic talent. The duo later created the magazine Carteles, which became for a period the most popular magazine in Cuba, which was purchased by Miguel Ángel Quevedo in 1953. In his life, he met and drew caricatures of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, the King of Spain, and many others.[ In sum total, he was the author of more than 28 thousand caricatures and drawings.Ernest Hemingway once had to refrain himself from punching Massaguer in the face after the artist drew an unflattering caricature of him. The dictator Gerardo Machado, however, did not punch Massaguer for his own unflattering caricature - he had the artist deported. He was one of the most internationally renowned Cuban artists of his day, and his art is still regularly featured in galleries across the Western Hemisphere and Europe. Early life Massaguer was born on October 18, 1889, in Cárdenas, Cuba.[In 1892, his family moved to Havana. When the Cuban War of Independence broke out, Massaguer's family escaped the country. From 1896 to 1908, he lived in Mérida, Mexico. However, during this time, his parents enrolled him in the New York Military Academy, where he stayed during school years. In 1905, after graduating the military academy, he briefly attended the San Fernando school in Havana, where he was tutored by Ricardo de la Torriente and Leopoldo Romañach. In 1906, less than a year later, he returned to the family home in Mexico. Career as artist Early career While living in Yucatán, Mexico, Massaguer published his first caricatures in local newspapers and magazines. These included La Campana, La Arcadia, and the Diario Yucateco. In 1908, he moved back to Havana. After returning to the island in 1908, Massaguer began mingling with Havana's aristocratic circles, forming close friendships with some of the city's most powerful and influential men, as well as winning the favor of many women who were quickly charmed by him. Massaguer, largely self-taught, honed his style using the avant-garde techniques he studied from the European and American magazines that were widely available in Cuba at the time. Cover of the immensely popular Cuban magazine El Figaro, drawn by Massaguer in 1909. This cover depicts two bumbling, incompetent American tourists to the island. He started drawing for El Fígaro, and was featured prominently on the cover in 1909. After two years of refining his craft, Havana announced a poster contest aimed at attracting North American tourists to stay in the city during the winter months. Notable figures like Leopoldo Romañach, Armando Menocal, Rodríguez Morey, Jaime Valls, and others also entered the competition. The jury was particularly impressed by the modern execution and creative solution of one piece, signed by Massaguer, who was relatively unknown at the time. The jury deliberations caused a great controversy.[5] The prize was ultimately awarded to the Galician painter Mariano Miguel, who had recently married the daughter of Nicolás Rivero, the wealthy owner of the conservative newspaper Diario de la Marina. Although Massaguer received only an honorable mention, the fraud scandal caused such an uproar that his name quickly entered the public spotlight, and he became an overnight sensation. In 1910, he became co-owner of the advertising agency Mercurio, with Laureano Rodríguez Castells. At Mercurio, he led the Susini cigar campaign, and earned substantial wealth. Massaguer has been described as a restless man, in both mind and body.After earning enough money from his art to begin traveling, he was almost always doing so. He constantly traveled between New York City and Havana, Mexico and France, Europe and the Americas. In 1911, his reputation among the Havana socialites solidified when he organized his own first public caricature exhibit, and also the first Caricature Salon ever held in the Americas, hosted at Athenaeum of Havana (the Ateneo), and the Círculo de La Habana. Other exhibitors here included Maribona, Riverón, Portell Vilá, Valer, Botet, Barsó, García Cabrera, Carlos Fernández, Rafael Blanco, and Hamilton de Grau. "Messaguer Visits Broadway." Caricatures of theatrical and literary figures. Elsie Janis, Raymond Hitchcock, S. Jay Kaufman (columnist), Ibanez, author of The Four Horsemen, and Frances White In 1912, in the New York American Journal, he published his first Broadway drawings. From 1913 to 1918, he was an editor for Gráfico. Social Main article: Social (magazine) Cover of the magazine Social, July 7, 1923 In 1916, he created the magazine Social with his brother, Oscar H. Massaguer. Social's contributors included Guillén Carpentier, Chacón y Calvo, Enrique José Varona and others.Social has been described as Massaguer's great love in the magazine industry, and was the property that historians say he cared the most about. Social was an innovative magazine, being the first magazine in the world to use a modern printing process called photolithographic printing. Social set cultural trends, not only in the fashion of Cuba, but in art, politics, and Cuban identity.[11] Social catered to a certain aesthetic in Cuba - that of the sophisticated elite socialite - but Massaguer would also use this magazine to ridicule and jibe against that same class of society when he found their personalities worthy of his contempt. In Social, readers could find a variety of content, including short stories, avant-garde poetry, art reviews, philosophical essays, and serialized novels, as well as articles on interior design, haute couture, and fashion. Occasionally, the magazine also featured reports on sports such as motor racing, rowing, tennis, and horse riding.The cultural promotion efforts of both Massaguer and Emilio Roig de Leuchsenring are evident in the magazine. Notably, this period overlaps with their involvement in the Minorista Group, which was then at the forefront of the country's intellectual life.[5] Many contributors were devoted members of the group, leading some experts to consider Social as the cultural voice of the Minoristas. One of the features of Social magazine was its section called "Massa Girls," which was a play on his own name, and pronounced with a glottal 'g' in a similar fashion to the letter in Massaguer.[12] Massaguer drew women as independent and free-thinking, and never drew the woman celebrity as a caricature of herself, but as a free agent surrounded by caricatures.[11] However, Massaguer himself has been described as a womanizer in his personal life, and hesitant to fully embrace every facet of women's liberation. In 1916, he also established la Unión de Artes Gráficas and the advertising agency Kesevén Anuncios.[9] The art critic Bernardo González Barroa wrote: “Massaguer has solved the problem of working hard, living comfortably off what his art produces and not missing any artistic, sporting or social event. His broad, childish laugh, of a carefree individual who carries his luck hidden in a pocket, appears everywhere for the moment, disguising the pranks of pupils that lurk, mock and, finally, flash with satisfaction at finding the characteristic point after having analyzed a soul... Massaguer's personality is beginning to solidify now. He has been the best-known and most popular caricaturist for a long time, but his technique had not reached the security, the mastery of values that he presents in his latest works, which is very natural and explainable”[5] Carteles Main article: Carteles Cover of the magazine Carteles, November 29, 1931 In 1919, Massaguer and his brother created the magazine Carteles.[9] Carteles gained the widest circulation of any magazine in Latin America, and the most popular magazine in Cuba for a time, until that title was claimed by Revista Bohemia. Carteles remained in print until July 1960.This magazine showcased Cuban commerce, art, sports, and social life before the revolution. In 1924, Carteles took a more political turn, with articles criticizing Gerardo Machado's government. it became a prime example of the humor and graphic design employed by artists like Horacio Rodríguez Suria and Andrés García...
Category

1930s Art Nouveau Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Ink, Illustration Board

" Elégante aux perles " .Carlton . Cannes
By René Gruau
Located in CANNES, FR
René Gruau ( 1909 - 2004 ) " Elégante aux perles " . 1950 . Dessin Original et unique graphite et fusain sur papier . Signé. format feuille : 83 x 50 cm feuille globale : 92 x 6...
Category

1950s Art Deco Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper

"Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman, and Eva Marie Saint"
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Ashley John is proud to offer this artwork by: Albert Hirschfeld (1903 - 2003) Albert Hirschfeld is known for his pen and ink personality caricatures of theatre people. He worked a...
Category

20th Century Abstract Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

OriginalSet-the Way of Seeing-Meeting Raphael-studies of Masters-British Artist
Located in London, GB
Free shipping worldwide ! This set of drawings included Two Studies of Raphael's paintings in National Gallery, London where Shizico Yi learned her craft in drawings from old masters...
Category

2010s Contemporary Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Previously Available Items
Honeymooners Classic TV Emmy Awards Caricature Jackie Gleason Art Carney Drawing
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
Honeymooners Classic TV Emmy Awards Caricature Jackie Gleason Art Carney Drawing. Board size is 16 1/2 x 16 `1/2 inches. Provenance: Estate of Michael Lang...
Category

1980s Performance Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Board

Buddy Hackett Original Drawing 1964 Broadway Musical published in New York Times
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in New York, NY
Buddy Hackett Original Drawing 1964 Broadway Musical I Had A Ball" published in The New York Times in 1964. In collaboration the Al Hirschfeld Foundation Al Hirschfeld’s drawings...
Category

1960s American Modern Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Board

Liza Minnelli from Victor/Victoria, Drawing by Al Hirschfeld
By Albert Al Hirschfeld
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Al Hirschfeld, American (1903 - 2003) Title: Liza Minnelli after Victor/Victoria Year: 1997 Medium: Pen and ink drawing, signed in pencil and titled in pen Size: 21 x 13 inch...
Category

1990s Contemporary Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Ballpoint Pen

Albert Al Hirschfeld portrait drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Albert Al Hirschfeld portrait 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 portrait 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 Alfred Bendiner, Linda Newman Boughton, and Ivan Chermayeff. Albert Al Hirschfeld portrait drawings and watercolors prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $5,500 and tops out at $55,000, while the average work can sell for $14,500.
Questions About Albert Al Hirschfeld Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
  • 1stDibs ExpertJanuary 19, 2025
    Al 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.

Recently Viewed

View All