Was Saul Steinberg an artist?
—Deidre Bair
Funny you should ask. That baffling question posed by Saul Steinberg's own biographer Deirdre Bair has been addressed several times by art critics and others. Yet at least a few of us who champion Steinberg's work from the sidelines are still infuriated by the very idea. Can the question over Steinberg's status as an artist, as opposed to a cartoonist, ever be put to rest?
A new Spanish exhibition has the very deliberate and telling title "Saul Steinberg, artista." Write me if you need a translation. That should be taken as an answer to Bair's query, one that will, it is to be hoped, endure. This show is the first in Spain ever dedicated to the work of Steinberg and it is his largest solo exhibition ever. It is currently on view at the Fundación Juan March in Madrid.
I'm pleased to report that gallery photos have been provided to this blog courtesy of a recent visitor; let's call him our man in Madrid. In addition, I have interspersed seven promotional photos from the Fundación Juan March's website with all the proper title, ownership, and copyright information. Going even beyond that, I have added two New Yorker magazine covers which correspond to the original art on display because—let's face it—we all know I can't help myself.
So here, for starters, is the exhibition entrance with an enlarged photograph of Steinberg down on the floor surrounded by his drawings. Is he checking them over? Choosing among them? Or is he just posing for the camera?
False documents:
Looking up:
Interior:
Visiting the Museum, 1956:
Compare with the March's scan:
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| Visiting the Museum, 1956 Saul Steinberg Carol and Douglas Cohen Collection ©The Saul Steinberg Foundation / VEGAP, Madrid, 2024 |
Two maps: a study or rough alongside the famous New Yorker cover.
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| View of the World From 9th Avenue, 1976 Saul Steinberg Private collection. ©The Saul Steinberg Foundation / VEGAP, Madrid, 2024. Photograph: Alister Alexander, Camerarts Studio Graphic |
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New York Taxis, 1977 Saul Steinberg Carol and Douglas Cohen Collection ©The Saul Steinberg Foundation / VEGAP, Madrid, 2024 |
Kamerun, Central Africa, 1987:
Cat and bird:
Family portraits:
Rainbow, 1974:
Straphangers, 1964:
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City Scape, 1956 Saul Steinberg Michael Cohen Collection ©The Saul Steinberg Foundation / VEGAP, Madrid, 2024 |
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Untitled, 1961-1962 Saul Steinberg Museum der Moderne Salzburg ©The Saul Steinberg Foundation / VEGAP, Madrid, 2024 |
Masks and landscapes:
The landscape on the right may be seen in the photograph of Steinberg on the floor displayed at the entrance to the exhibition:
Piano lessons, a drawing on music paper:
1978:
Happy birthday to friend Aldo Buzzi, construction, 1974:
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Still Life Chair, 1981 Saul Steinberg Galerie Claude Bernard ©The Saul Steinberg Foundation / VEGAP, Madrid, 2024 |
Steinberg's books:
The catalogue:
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| https://tienda.march.es/catalogos-de-exposiciones/16678-saul-steinberg-artista.html |
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Untitled, 1963 Saul Steinberg Private collection ©The Saul Steinberg Foundation / VEGAP, Madrid, 2024 |
Blog Post No. 100
Blog Post No. 200: A Shaggy Dog Story
Blog Post No. 3000: The Vatican Museums 2019
Blog Post No. 3100: Frank Beaven's Dickensian Christmas
Blog Post No. 3200: St. Patrick's Day 1938—Will Cotton Original New Yorker Cover Art
Blog Post No. 3300: "Give Up?" by Whitney Darrow, Jr.
Blog Post No. 3400: The 1942 Navy Relief Show Program
Blog Post No. 3500: William Steig's "What is Art?"
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