Artist:
Al Hirschfeld
(American, 1903 - 2003)
Sitter:
Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Medium: Pen and ink on paper
Date: 1940s
Dimensions:
9 1/2 × 8 in. (24.1 × 20.3 cm)
Accession number: 2010.21
Copyright: © The Al Hirschfeld Foundation. www.AlHirschfeldFoundation.org
Label Copy:
Master of expressive line drawings, Al Hirschfeld made a long career of caricaturing famous faces from the stage and screen. His signature style pared down his subjects to a minimal number of sinuous lines, preserving the essence of a character that was instantly recognizable. His long career—over seventy years—at The New York Times covering the performing arts ensured that his work stayed in the public spotlight. Like all good caricatures, this work from early in the career of entertainer Bob Hope exaggerates the subject’s facial features, but does so with an elegance and grace that goes beyond mere cartooning.
Master of expressive line drawings, Al Hirschfeld made a long career of caricaturing famous faces from the stage and screen. His signature style pared down his subjects to a minimal number of sinuous lines, preserving the essence of a character that was instantly recognizable. His long career—over seventy years—at The New York Times covering the performing arts ensured that his work stayed in the public spotlight. Like all good caricatures, this work from early in the career of entertainer Bob Hope exaggerates the subject’s facial features, but does so with an elegance and grace that goes beyond mere cartooning.