AL HIRSCHFELD (1903-2003)
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in "Private Lives", with inscription from Richard Burton. Pen, ink, and graphite on board, 1983, signed "Hirschfeld" at lower right with a small "3" (indicating the number of Ninas hidden in the drawing), inscribed by Burton on a slip on the frame verso. 27 x 21 inches (68 x 53 cm); framed. Visibly fine, not examined out of frame.

A fine, large original Al Hirschfeld illustration for the 1983 Broadway revival of Noel Coward's Private Lives starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton at the Lunt-Fontaine Theater. The show was popular but short-lived, closing after 63 performances. This drawing is Inscribed by Richard Burton to a friend on the verso. We note an alternate version of this drawing sold recently at Swann Galleries (24 June 2021, 222) and the catalogue for that sale reports that Private Lives was a rare exception where Hirschfeld provided a drawing of a stage production to two different newspapers, one for the New York Times and another for the London Daily Mail, this is likely the Daily Mail drawing. This drawing is reproduced on the website of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation, see https://www.alhirschfeldfoundation.org/type/richard-burton