Saul Steinberg, Artist

From 18 October to 12 January 2025, the Juan March Foundation is hosting the first complete retrospective devoted to Saul Steinberg in Spain. Considered one of the most outstanding artists and illustrators of post-war art, the exhibition reviews his career and all his artistic facets.

Saul Steinberg (Râmnicu Sărat, Romania, 1914 - New York, 1999) stands out as one of the geniuses of post-war art. Different artistic and literary genres coexist in his work, which is also a vivid representation of his personal life, times and destiny.

The artist became known mainly for his ingenious drawings and cartoons published in the illustrious magazine The New Yorker. The collaboration with this great magazine over almost six decades enabled Steinberg to penetrate American homes and confront the paradigms of American society of the time. The figure of the painter is by no means confined to his own self-definition as ‘a writer who draws’, but transcends it. Leaving aside his mythical graphic works, Steinberg explored various forms of expression, such as painting, collage, photo-montage, etc.

This exhibition shows the multifaceted artistic work of the maestro during his professional career. The exhibition houses nearly 400 pieces from an amalgam of private and public collections from Europe and America. In fact, the donation of part of the funds by the New York Saul Steinberg Foundation significantly enriches this exhibition.

Image Credits:

• Saul Steinberg, View of the World from the 9th Avenue, 1976. Private Collection. © Saul Steinberg, VEGAP, Madrid, 2024. Photography: Alister Alexander, Camerarts Studio Graphic
• Saul Steinberg, City Scale, 1956. Michael Cohen Collection. © Saul Steinberg, VEGAP, Madrid, 2024.
• Saul Steinberg, Illustration for the cover of The New Yorker magazine (2 April 1960) Juan March Foundation Library, Madrid. © Saul Steinberg, VEGAP, Madrid, 2024