Hirschfeld Evokes Essence of Subjects With Simple Lines — And His Daughter's Name

[caption id="attachment_74000" align="alignnone" width="800"] Aerosmith by Al Hirschfeld.[/caption]

By Michelle Trauring

Scott Segelbaum can immediately tell who knows their Al Hirschfelds by what they do first.

They are always searching for the “Ninas.”

“Hirschfeld hid his daughter’s name, Nina, in every single one of his line drawings, at least one time,” Segelbaum explained. “So, if you look at his work and study it, you may see one, you may see 10, you may see dozens of them. But always somewhere hidden in the picture is Nina: N-I-N-A.”

He will put this theory to the test starting Friday, when a never-before-seen exhibit of nearly three-dozen original illustrations by the legendary caricaturist unveils at Duck Walk Vineyards in Water Mill — a free exhibition, in partnership with WBAZ and WEHM, on loan from and curated by a private collector who worked with Hirschfeld personally.

“He would tell me stories about going to Hirschfeld’s apartment in New York with his son, Zak, and in one of the drawings he did of John Lennon, he hid ‘Z-A-K’ for this guy’s son,” Segelbaum said. “I think that shows you what he’s all about. I never met him, but I’ve heard the most wonderful things about him.”

[caption id="attachment_74004" align="alignright" width="436"] Godfather by Al Hirschfeld.[/caption]

Born in 1903 in St. Louis, Missouri, Hirschfeld would move to New York at age 12 and study at the Art Students League. With the exception of a brief interlude in Paris, the artist never left.

On exhibition at the Smithsonian, the National Portrait Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum and The Museum of Modern Art — just to name a few — Hirschfeld is a household name worldwide, but especially in New York. He contributed to the New York Times for more than seven decades, capturing the biggest names in film, theater and music of the day.

When he died in 2003 at age 99, the Martin Beck Theatre on Broadway was rededicated as The Al Hirschfeld Theatre in his honor.

“His death left a major hole in the art world,” Segelbaum said. “He was, and still is, beloved and treasured.”

The Duck Walk exhibit will feature some of Hirschfeld’s most famous work, from Humphrey Bogart, Neil Young, Elvis Presley, John Wayne and the cast of the Godfather, to Clint Eastwood, Bob Dylan, Charlie Chaplin, Aerosmith — featuring the cover of their album “Draw the Line” — and even “the Rebbe,” Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

“He was able to capture their essence in these line drawings,” Segelbaum said. “He always captured the movers and the shakers of the time. And with this little thing of putting his daughter’s name in there, kids discovered it and they’d see it in the Sunday New York Times and try to count the Ninas.

“I think children were hooked on it from an early age, as well as their parents,” he continued. “It appealed to a whole cross-section of people, because it was pop culture at its essence.”

The artist also captured historic moments, such as The Beatles’ first performance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.

“I mean, nobody knew The Beatles were going to have the kind of longevity that they did, so the picture Hirschfeld drew actually featured both musical artists from show, which were The Beatles, next to The Singing Nun,” according to Segelbaum. “They put out an edition after Hirschfeld passed away, with just The Beatles.”

There was just one problem: the “Nina” was in The Singing Nun.

“That is the only piece that has no ‘Nina’ in it,” Segalbaum said of the egregious error. “Only die-hard Hirschfeld fans know that.”

An exhibit of work by Al Hirschfeld will open on Friday, October 27, at Duck Walk Vineyards, located at 231 Montauk Highway in Water Mill, and continue through Sunday, October 29. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission is free, and all works are available to purchase. Prices range from $375 to $2,500. For more information, please call (631) 726-7555 or visit rockartshow.com.

[caption id="attachment_74003" align="alignnone" width="800"] George Harrison in India by Al Hirschfeld.[/caption]