Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003) grew up with an unmistakable gift for artistry. He was born and raised in St. Louis in a Jewish household with two older brothers. His father was a traveling salesman and his mother was a department store clerk, who eventually opened her own candy store. Hirschfeld’s talent, however, would cause the family to completely alter their lives. Hirschfeld’s tutor strongly encouraged the Hirschfelds to move to New York City so that the young artist could be properly trained.
Covarrubias and Bali
Hirschfeld shared an art studio with Miguel Covarrubias, the talented Mexican artist who had moved to New York City and whose work was primarily published in Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. It was Covarrubias who introduced Hirschfeld to the art of caricature.
Hirschfeld’s artistry began to evolve into caricature, and it would soon become a truly signature form. The timely meeting of Covarrubias and his work with Warner Brothers was serendipitous, as the film studio was the first to purchase one of his caricature productions in April 1925. He would go on to produce many caricatures of Hollywood film actors and actresses, but it was his association with theater productions for which he would become most known.
In December 1926, he sold his first theatrical caricature. Additionally, since the bankruptcy of Selznick Pictures, Hirschfeld decided to solely work freelance. Of his clients, arguably his biggest, and most certainly his most consistent, was The New York Times—a working relationship that lasted 75 years from 1927 to 2003.
Between the time of his first film and then first theatrical caricature, Hirschfeld began a renovation of his artistic method. He moved to Paris in October 1925. It was the beginning of many consecutive travels that influenced the rest of his life and, specifically, his artistry. From Paris, he went to North Africa, then Moscow, then Tehran, Tahiti, and then, after an invitation from his friend Covarrubias, the Indonesian island of Bali, where he spent 10 months. It was here on the small island that his art received its most significant change, and it had less to do with spending time with Covarrubias and more to do with standing in the beaming sun.
Returning Home, and ‘National Insanity’
Hirschfeld didn’t remain in Bali because of the weather and beaches. He had actually run out of money. As luck would have it, though, he made the acquaintance of a famous American actor Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin loved Hirschfeld’s work, and also knew the young artist needed to get back to New York City. So the actor purchased most of his artwork, providing him enough funds to return home.When he returned home, one of the first pieces of caricature art he produced was in April 1931 of Duke Ellington, the renowned jazz composer. The Des Moines Register printed the drawing, and Ellington chose it as the official promo art for his tour. It quickly became apparent that Hirschfeld was able to capture not only the look, but also the character of his subjects.
In addition to his regular entertainment work, he also created illustrations for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which was instituted to help provide jobs during the Great Depression. His work during the 1930s and into the 1940s leaned into the political. This form comparatively, however, would not last very long, ending around 1945. It may have been because he found it less enjoyable than caricaturing entertainers, or perhaps it had something to do with his first child, Nina, being born.
‘Hirschfelded’
Throughout his illustrious career, Hirschfeld drew the faces of some of America’s most famous entertainers, including Chaplin, Leonard Bernstein, Marlon Brandon, Jessica Tandy, Jack Lemmon, Jack Nicholson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Robards, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Garland, and Meryl Streep.
His last name became a verb. To have one’s profile drawn by Hirschfeld was to be “Hirschfelded.” It was no insult. It meant that the person had officially reached stardom. As aforementioned, Hirschfeld had a gift of capturing both the look and the character of the person. It was why Hirschfeld didn’t call himself a caricaturist, but rather a “characterist.”
Hirschfeld produced art for movie posters, book covers, album covers, as well as for 15 postage stamps. He earned two Tony awards for lifetime achievement. His art collections have been exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Portrait Gallery, the Harvard Theatre Collection, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. In 1993, he was added to the St. Louis Walk of Fame. In 1996, the New York City Landmarks Commission declared him a Living Landmark. In 2000, the Library of Congress declared him a Living Legend. Shortly before his death in January 2003, he was informed he would receive the Medal of Arts from the National Endowment of the Arts. Lastly, and perhaps most fittingly, the Broadway theater, the Martin Beck Theatre, was renamed to the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.
