Al Hirschfeld is the legendary artist that truly helped launch Celebrity Art owner Neal Glaser’s art career. By allowing Mr Glaser to co-publish (with Margo Feiden Galleries of NY) many of his rock and roll drawings, his influence and notoriety helped introduced Celebrity Art to many of the artists they represent today. It is with great honor and privilege that we are able to offer original hand signed signed lithographs of Mr Hirschfeld’s works, as well as our extensive collection of original pen and ink drawings that are all indeed museum worthy. Hirschfeld is famous for his witty caricatures of celebrities from the theater and the arts, many of which have appeared in the New York Times. Al Hirschfeld was a child prodigy whose drawings of the world around him, particularly the American theater, are as fresh and unique and joyous as when he first drew them. He was born in 1903 in St Louis, but because of his immense talent he moved to New York City to study art while barely a teenager. After an early but short career with Samuel Goldwyn Studios (where he got his first art assignments doing ads) he was hired by Selznick Pictures and became their art director, creating movie posters for some of the biggest movies of its time. All of this would have made any other artist’s career a huge success, but Mr. Hirschfeld was only 18 years old and the year was 1921.
Al Hirschfeld, who for over 80 years had his drawings shown and exhibited throughout the world, passed away on January 20, 2003 at the age of 99. His work in this long and illustrious career was featured in The New York Times for over 70 years, as he created the drawings on the front page of the ‘arts and leisure’ section. He also had his drawings gracing the cover of many of America’s most known publications including TV Guide (he holds the record for TV Guide covers at 44 drawings), Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Time Magazine, and countless others. With his Oscar nominated movie “The Line King” in 1996, and his best selling book “On Line” from 1999, Mr. Hirschfeld developed a whole new generation of fans. He had two series of commissioned U.S. Postal Service stamp collections produced, as he was the only living artist that the United States has ever so honored. Featured on permanent display at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, The Smithsonian Institute and dozens of other museums, his works will live on and on. Hirschfeld’s works can be found in these museums: The Smithsonian Institution, The National Portrait Gallery, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Museum of the City of New York, The Lincoln Center Library, The Brooklyn Museum, The Fogg Museum of Harvard University, St. Louis Art Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art, and many other museums and institutions in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Broadway has honored Hirschfeld by naming the old Martin Theater on 45th after him. The theater is one of broadways most famous and now the Hirschfeld theater host the long running hit “Kinky Boots.”