Attention to the Artist: Al Hirschfeld & His Line

Al Hirschfeld sitting in his home on the Upper East Side in front of his mural.

Every Sunday in the Drama section of The New York Times, New Yorkers would search for NINA. Al Hirschfeld would hide his daughter’s name several times in the lines of his work. He would sign the portrait with his classic straight-lined signature and next to it he would write a number indicating how many Ninas were hidden in the drawing. This became a sort of tradition for readers of the newspaper.

Throughout his career, Hirschfeld saw numerous Broadway shows. You would always find him sitting in an ill-lit theater; whether it was a company rehearsing or the opening night of a brand new show, he would be sitting there with his paper, sketching in the dark. He used a method of short strokes to outline his pieces, which he would later revisit. In his studio, he finished all his drawings in his classic barber's chair, bringing characters to life.

Hirschfield had been drawing his whole life, but when he took a trip to Bali his career completely changed. He was able to see the path created by a moving point—a line—more clearly. Later in New York, he went to the theater with a pencil. On the back of the program, Hirschfeld drew up a sketch. It was liked so much it appeared in The New York Times. Soon he was being asked for more drawings to appear in the paper, jump-starting his career as a caricaturist.

As a New Yorker and avid art lover, I fell in love with Hirschfeld’s line. Looking through his pieces is so special. There is something different about each portrait. He really still is the King of Line.