Richard Baratz Draws 'Em Like He Sees 'Em
By Robert Simonson
04 Jul 2009
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Recent caricature subjects: Laura Benanti, Daniel Radcliffe, Carolee Carmello and Sutton Foster
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| photo by Aubrey Reuben |
If it were up to Bette Midler, Sardi's caricature artist Richard Baratz would not have a job.
Baratz has been the house illustrator at Sardi's Restaurant in New York's theatre district for 35 years — a longer run than any of his three predecessors in the job. Landing that singular post, however, wasn't easy.
When Don Bevan retired in 1974, Vincent Sardi decided to hold a competition to find his new caricaturist. He sent notices to all of the local arts schools. One caught the eye of Baratz, then attending the School of Visual Arts.
"I was a little nervous about it," he said, "because I had never met any celebrities. I was pretty young. Even meeting Mr. Sardi, I was nervous about that."
Each applicant was tested by being given a subject to capture in pen and ink. Baratz draw Midler, then performing in her Broadway revue Clams on a Half Shell.
"The way I pictured her was mouth open, on stage, big smile," the artist said. The Divine Miss M was not pleased. "She didn't like the drawing, so I figured that was the end of that. But Mr. Sardi hung it up and people loved it in the restaurant. So he gave me another chance."
Baratz was charged with depicting actor Anthony Hopkins, then starring on Broadway in Equus. The future Hannibal Lecter was overjoyed. "He loved it," remembered Baratz. "He invited me to the show. He took me out to lunch. It was a wonderful experience."
The week after that, Baratz was announced as Sardi's new caricaturist.
Like the hosts of the "Tonight" show, there have been few to have been as lucky. The first to paper the walls of theatredom's most famous eatery was Alex Gard, a well-known cartoonist at the time, who insisted he be paid only with a free meal every evening. He worked until he died in 1948. (Most of his drawings are now housed in the Billy Rose Theatre Collection of the New York Public Library.) John Mackey took over briefly, before playwright Don Bevan (Stalag 17) arrived for a considerably longer stay, turning out caricatures until 1974.
Baratz figures he averages about 20 caricatures a year, and has contributed roughly 700 to Sardi's three floors. Over those 700, he has learned to be as much a diplomat as an artist.
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Jane Fonda and caricature
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| photo by Boneau Bryan Brown |
"Just recently, I was doing Jane Fonda, and I had to do a few passes. The likeness wasn't there. You have to be very careful. Let's face it — these people make a living with their appearance. A lot of them don't really want to be insulted. I found that out early on."
He recalled a tussle he had with actor Roy Scheider. "He had a Joe Palooka face, as far as I was concerned. He had a Jerry Lewis crewcut and a Joe Palooka nose. But he didn't see himself that way. I did the drawing again and I did it more flattering, but he still didn't like it. After a few times, Mr. Sardi said, 'Leave it be.'"
He continued, "People accuse me of leaning more toward portraiture. But I feel it's somewhere between caricature and portraiture. Political caricatures are biting and insulting. I feel in theatre they should be the opposite. Why can't they be? A caricature can be flattering, too, I feel." Continued...
