Hirschfeld's Hollywood

From Barnes & Noble

Hirschfeld takes on Hollywood in this collection of works by the celebrated illustrator. Hirschfeld's imaginative film posters are the highlights of this collection. Hirschfeld's fluid, stylized line drawings and paintings are immediately recognizable and make it easy to see why the artist has received worldwide acclaim.

Library Journal

The delightfully clever illustrations in these companion books span 80 years of productivity by the still-active 98-year-old artist Hirschfeld. The dual publications coincide with dual exhibitions: one at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood and one at the Museum of the City of New York. Most people identify Hirschfeld with his lively black-and-white line caricatures of famous people and events in the entertainment industry, as reproduced in magazines and newspapers like the New York Times. Both books include examples of these caricatures but also discuss and display Hirschfeld's many other contributions to 20th-century American popular culture, and both also include photographs and self-portraits of the artist himself. A New York City resident for most of his life, Hirschfeld also became associated with Hollywood after 1920, when he started doing publicity art for movie studios then based in New York, such as Selznick, Warner, and MGM. In Hirschfeld's Hollywood, Hirschfeld's own archivist, David Leopold, showcases over 100 examples of his colorful poster and advertising work for movies through the decades. For Hirschfeld's New York, exhibit curator Bell also has selected over 100 examples, portraying the Broadway theater and other aspects of New York's night life and daily life. Both books contain works that are not well known as well as old favorites. As represented here, the sheer chronological span of one perceptive artist's interpretive work should appeal to a wide audience. While either book is highly recommended on its own, a joint purchase of these complementary books is suggested for both academic and public libraries. Anne Marie Lane, Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.