Saul Steinberg (1914–1999), an American artist with Romanian roots, was a man with a broad cultural and political outlook that is also reflected in his work, which deals with everyday human life with all its paradoxes. Steinberg’s drawings, masks, collages, and assemblages are known for their penetrating analysis of modern society. A stay in Milan, where he studied architecture and made his cartoon debut in the humour newspaper Bertoldo, was a pivotal time for Steinberg. Even then, he impressed with his ability to express a complex idea with an original point through playful yet witty visual shortcuts. Steinberg was a true example of homo ludens in Schiller’s sense. Through play, he developed his thinking and explored different levels of meaning, which he then elaborated on in different contexts.

Saul Steinberg: Between Line and Text

Collection of Prints and Drawings
Curator: Adriana Šmejkalová
Expert collaboration and coordination: Anna Strnadlová

Exhibition is based on gifts to the Museum from The Saul Steinberg Foundation.