Saul Steinberg, Untitled, 1975. Markers, watercolor, colored pencil and pencil on paper, OSU Museum of Art; Gift of The Saul Steinberg Foundation

Saul Steinberg gained fame for his humorous drawings in The New Yorker. However, his early life was marked by adversity. Facing antisemitism in Romania, he moved to Milan to study architecture in 1933 and also worked as a cartoonist until Mussolini’s antisemitic racial laws forced him to leave. After completing his architectural degree, he sought refuge in the Dominican Republic and began sending drawings to US periodicals. By the time he arrived in New York City in 1942, several of his drawings had already been published in The New Yorker. Steinberg became a US citizen and continued collaborating with The New Yorker while exhibiting his art worldwide. In 2021, the OSU Museum of Art received a significant donation of Steinberg’s work, showcased in the Line of Thought exhibition. Line of Thought explores the contrasts between the adversity Steinberg faced and the witty, satirical art he produced.

Saul Steinberg, Untitled, 1946-1954, Ink on paper, gift of The Saul Steinberg Foundation.
Saul Steinberg, Untitled, ca. 1955. Ink on paper mounted on paper board. Gift of The Saul Steinberg Foundation
Saul Steinberg, Untitled, 1956-1959. Ink and crayon on paper. Gift of The Saul Steinberg Foundation
Photo by Phil Shockley

OSU Museum of Art

Line of Thought: The Work of Saul Steinberg
July 25–September 30, 2023

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